Hell's Past
by Mizu-sensei
Summary: Mizuki and Aido are from different countries, shinobi of different villages with very different personalities. The one thing they have in common is what bands them together. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto! R&R! Rated for future chapters!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: To Hell…**

**Mizuki**

"How is your research coming along?" Danzo asked. I had my head bowed, with my ANBU mask on. "Nothing eventful has occurred, my lord." I said. I was surrounded by my fellow ROOT operatives, and we were all showing respects to our leader. Secretly, however, I couldn't respect him. "All but Neko are dismissed." Danzo said. I was swiftly left alone.

"What have you found?" he asked. That was our code. If I told him that nothing eventful had occurred, he knew I'd found something. If I would've said, no new information has come forth, and then he would've known nothing had happened.

"I've been looking through the other village's archives on the identified members of Orochimaru's organization… and I discovered something quite unusual." I said, with my tone displaying no emotion. "What is that?" Danzo asked. "No known shinobi affiliated with Orochimaru is deemed mentally sound." I said.

"Based on what knowledge?" Danzo asked. He sounded so condescending. He irritated me. "I'm the ANBU's licensed criminal psycho-analytic. I'm the one who makes these decisions, correct?" I asked, with an edge to my voice. "Yes, yes… That's correct." Danzo said.

"Just verifying, _sir_." I said, with the ice in my voice. "You're tone isn't acceptable." Danzo said. I bowed my head lower. "My apologies, sir…" I said in a quieter tone. "Don't let it happen again." Danzo said. I nodded.

"I've decided to assign you to an assassination force. It's going to be a difficult mission. I know you being there will ensure it's done right." Danzo said. "Yes sir." I said. "You're dismissed." He said. I vanished; eager to be out of his sight. I wouldn't get the mission details for a few days, leaving me time to start back up on my own private research; my past. It was foreign to me.

I was only a sixteen year old girl, but I'd already seen some incredible horrific things. Things I've helped come to be… But what I couldn't stand was the fact that I couldn't remember anything before the age of thirteen. Who was Mizuki Hakumei? What was my purpose? Who… who were my parents? Those questions ran through my mind every single day.

My earliest memory was of me waking up in a hospital bed. Danzo was by my side. "You're very lucky, child. You're the only survivor." Then he left. I never questioned him from that day forward. All I knew was my name and age. I knew nothing else of who I really was.

I walked into my apartment, and removed my mask. Even when I was "off duty" I couldn't get myself to relax. It irritated me. What really got to me was the fact that even though I was a psychoanalyst, why was it that I was literately the one to go to for emotional issues when I can't feel hardly any emotions?

I did not feel happiness, joy, and I didn't laugh. I'd never smiled. I normally never showed any emotion whatsoever, but the emotions I rarely showed were those of irritation, frustration, and curiosity. Curiosity seemed to be the only one of those that made me seem human. The others… the other emotions made me out to be some robot.

I took off my cloak, and started to remove my ANBU armor. I was a little different from the other ROOT members. While the others only worked for Danzo, I worked as a normal ANBU operative as well. But I knew that I needed to keep my research on my past a secret. It was bad enough Danzo had used a curse mark on me so I couldn't speak of him, but what he didn't know was that I broke the curse. If I wanted, I could tell the world everything I knew about him.

I flopped onto my bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. Everything in my apartment was blank. I had no decorations on my walls, and nothing that really screamed this place was mine. The only thing I had personal was a desk loaded with files and paperwork, a bookshelf filled with books and my sketchbooks, and a large case of art supplies. That was all I had in my name… Mizuki Hakumei… I guess there was no point in having a name, anyway. I mean… people with names had meaning behind them. I had nothing…

The next couple days were spent doing standard pre-mission research. We were supposed to assassinate a little Kumogakure ANBU troop, which was supposed to be really strong. So we had a six-man squad, of which I was the only female.

Apparently, we each had a member we were supposed to assassinate. Mine was a seventeen year old girl named Aido Enzeru. As I stared at her picture, I couldn't help but feel as if I've met her before.

Her bio said she was 5'7, and she was of a smaller build, but I could tell she was toned, but like me, she still looked feminine. Her skin was a soft peach, and she had pretty chocolate brown eyes. Her hair was light brown and went down to her waist. She was pretty, and it said she was one of the best medics in existence, and could use fire and lightning chakra. Why did they want her dead?

I continued flipping through her file in the secret ANBU archives building. It would appear that I was the only one working late, because I was totally alone. I decided to put Aido's file away, and start looking for my own, knowing that this may be my only chance to do so without being seen.

I headed into the part of the library which had the absolute most top-secret records kept there, and began browsing the aisles, looking for anything on my clan, or myself.

After an hour and a half, I came up with nothing. Out of my frustration, I hit a shelf, and a bulky file crashed to the ground. "Shit." I cursed. I picked it up, noticing it had a seal on it. It was a big black leather book, but what caught my eye was the fact that it had the Uchiha clan's crest on it.

I suppose you could say curiosity got the best of me, and I quickly made a duplicate of the book in appearance, while I sealed the actual book away in a scroll, stuffing it into my thigh holster. I quickly packed up my stuff and left the building.

When I got home, I used a sealing jutsu on my apartment, and I went to my room, locking the door, and sitting on my bed, just like I did when I was reading a regular book. I easily broke the seal, using my chakra to override it. I opened the book, and started to read. What I read shocked me. But I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't forgive Danzo for this… this… tragedy…

**Aido**

"Aido! We've got one coding!" a frantic nurse yelled. I hastily followed her, walking into a room where a male shinobi was currently flat lining, with several nurses trying to do CPR. I was in the Kumogakure hospital, where I spent my days off from the field. I was the best medic the village had, and my skills were so highly regarded, that I was always on some form of duty.

I immediately began using my medical ninjutsu and lightning style chakra into him, jump starting his heart, and healing his internal injuries. He was pretty banged up, but I knew he would live. I'd never had a patient die on me. If any of my patients died, it was because I wasn't with them. But even then, there have only been two patients that have died that way.

Once the guy was stabilized, I went to check on my other patients, all of whom were stable. Some of them were supposed to have died, but I managed to keep them alive. I actually brought a few back from the dead. I was proud of that. Incredibly proud of that.

It was actually rather comforting to know that although I was on an ANBU assassination task force, I could also help people. It made me happy on some level that I could be compassionate, even if it was only a little.

"Miss? Can I have a word with you?" a boy asked. I looked at him, recognizing him as a young chunin. "Yes… Come with me." I said, motioning him inside of an empty conference room. "How can I help you?" I asked, looking at the boy.

He could've been maybe my age… but I knew I outranked him. I outranked a lot of people who were older than me. It's not every day you encounter a seventeen year old top-ranked jonin. The next highest rank would be the position of Raikage.

"Well… Enzeru-san… I… um… was hoping that perhaps you'd like to go out on a date with me?" he asked. I blinked in surprise. "Come again?" I asked. "Would you go on a date with me?" he asked, looking down in embarrassment. Before I could answer, a nurse poked his head in and said, "Enzeru-san, there are some ANBU here to see you." I gave the boy a sad look and dismissed myself, being led to another conference room.

Once the nurse left, I set up a sealing jutsu on the room, so we couldn't be overheard. "Are you enjoying your time working here at the hospital?" one of the three ANBU asked. "Yes… but I know you aren't here to make pathetic attempts at small talk, now are you?" I said in a less friendly tone. "You are correct. Please come with us. We've got a mission to assign you." another ANBU said. I rolled my eyes and nodded, grabbing my bag and leaving with them.

We made our way to our secret headquarters, which was actually located in the underground of the village. Here's the thing that really got to me every time; I was actually hated. That was why that boy asking me out on a date surprised me so much. What I didn't understand was _why_ they hated me. Didn't I save their lives? Didn't I deserve some form of gratitude?

I was escorted into the center most underground part of the complex, where the leader of our ANBU faction was waiting for me. "Aido… Yes… come here." Arashi said, looking at me with his dead, cold, slate grey eyes. I approached him and bowed, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. "I've got another mission for you. It's a squad-required one, and it's going to be a rough one." Arashi said, his tone flat and without emotion. I nodded, rising to my feet.

"It's an assassination. The mission details are currently in your home. Take time to prepare. Your target is very skilled." Arashi said. He waved his hand, and I knew that meant I was dismissed. I quickly left, deciding to go home and check out the file waiting for me.

When I walked into my apartment, I tossed my bag onto my coffee table, and picked up the thick file waiting for me. I opened the file, seeing a pretty girl's picture looking back at me. Her eyes were the first thing you saw. They were in an intense stare, with their silver-blue color practically burning a hole into you. But they were pretty nonetheless. Her skin was very pale, and her hair was a dark, rich brown.

Her name was Mizuki Hakumei, and she was one of Konoha's best Special Forces shinobi. She was only sixteen years old, but was considered to be an S-ranked jonin, like me. She was 5'9, and her body type was strong, but not muscly. She looked feminine, to say the least.

Her file said she was a criminal psychoanalytic, who had lightning and water chakra natures, and had a great affinity for genjutsu, even though she didn't have a structured style like the Sharingan, which originated from her village.

She was supposedly void of all forms of emotion, and thrived on cold logic instead. She was ruthless in a fight… but… why did Kumogakure want her dead? Had she done anything to the village at all? I had no idea…

I sometimes wanted to know why a person was in my bingo book, and there were other times I didn't. I wanted to know why I was going to be killing her. I never thought that was too much to ask, but I knew better than to try. You didn't ask questions if you were ANBU. You executed your missions, and tried to make it back home.

I finished reading her file, realizing that she and I were similar in a way. I wasn't quite sure yet… but I knew it was there. What I couldn't get past was the fact that she seemed to familiar. I didn't think I'd ever seen her before… But perhaps I had. I wouldn't know, because I had no memories from before I was fourteen. She probably had a great childhood.

So… why did I suddenly not want to kill her? I didn't know her. I probably didn't want to know her. It said she was a killer, however something in my gut told me that killing her wasn't a good idea. But what choice did I have? It was either kill her, or get thrown in jail for treason. I didn't like either choice really…

Maybe there was a simpler world out there… but to be honest, I don't think I'd be able to leave the shinobi world behind…I loved the thrill of it, and I loved getting stronger. But sometimes I questioned the morals of a shinobi, or lack thereof. One day, however, I was convinced I'd find true happiness in this god forsaken world. I hated this… this emptiness I felt whenever I woke up in the morning… after I actually managed to get some sleep.

I closed her file, setting it on my coffee table. I checked the clock, seeing that it was really late, and I knew I needed to get at least an hour or two of sleep, before I had to go back to work. I was a chronic insomniac, even though I knew it wasn't healthy. I grudgingly made my way to my bedroom, and crawled into bed. Life was hard. It was harder for a shinobi.

**Mizuki**

I was flying on auto pilot. It had been two weeks since I discovered the Uchiha file. It had been two weeks since I'd discovered what a _monster_ Danzo was. I was disgusted. That file had screwed me up so much that I had cried. Granted, it was only a single tear, and I had no idea I was crying until the teardrop hit the page I'd been reading. I hadn't slept until I finished reading the file, and even then, I wasn't sleeping well anyway. I just couldn't get my mind around it.

I spent most of my mental time trying to fathom what on earth made Danzo to have a child make that decision. Admittedly, Itachi was older than me by five years, but how could he make a fifteen year old boy do something like that? Then I had another sickening realization.

Danzo was doing the same to me. There was a difference, however. Danzo was taking advantage of the fact that I couldn't remember my past; I had no compassion or pleasant emotions, and the fact that I was all alone in this world. That bastard... I wouldn't ever forget this.

For the time being, I decided to keep the file. I read and reread it, doing a thorough analysis of it, and then reanalyzing it again. I knew one thing, however. If I ever met Itachi, and the chance was very unlikely, I would give this back to him.

Sure, I didn't feel sympathy towards him, but I did have an understanding of what he had done. Like me, Itachi Uchiha was a dog of Konoha. That didn't mean the fact that the Uchiha incident occurred didn't piss me off. It did. I was royally pissed off, and it took a lot to anger me.

"Hey, Neko. Get ready. We're leaving." One of my squad mates barked. There it was… the hate I so often received. What had I done to make them hate me? I never killed any of them. Sure, I'd beaten the shit out of them in training exercises, but they'd never been killed by me. I'd actually saved many of their lives. Shouldn't they be grateful? I mean, I wasn't trying to be arrogant, but didn't they owe me some gratitude? Or at the very least some respect.

I packed up my files, and began sealing a bunch of scrolls in two main scrolls. My life was so dangerous, that whenever I was about to set out on a mission, I took the liberty of sealing away all of my personal items. That meant my clothes, money, weapons, books, files, research, and anything that wasn't furniture.

"Hey. Hurry up." Another guy said. I was wearing my mask, but they knew I was angry when I turned to them. "You seriously want to piss me off? Last I checked, _Echo_, I've saved your life more times than I can count." I snapped. He flinched when I used his codename.

I picked up my unsheathed katana, which had a pure black onyx blade and a pure white hilt, and sheathed it. The blade itself was one of the rarest in the world. It was known as Yami. It was feared, and it was one of the best chakra weapons out there. Legend had it that it had a twin, but it was destroyed years ago. The other blade was known as Hikari, and together, they were referred to as the Kami no Raiton blades.

We packed up and headed out, moving towards the supposed place where the Kumo team was doing their recon mission. We moved in silence. Even though we were ANBU, we were so quiet. We usually talked about battle strategy, but not today… why was that? Why was it that we were all so… quiet? I mean, I never spoke much, but they… they talked a little. Was this mission that dangerous, or was something wrong?

We proceeded forward, with me leading my squad of six. I always acted as squad leader, despite the fact that I usually wanted nothing more than to work alone, or with a single partner. Though I'd never admit it aloud, the way the criminal organization the Akatsuki organized their cells was actually not a bad idea.

A big group of people were memorable, whereas only two people were able to be much stealthier. Not that I applauded the Akatsuki. I didn't, but they weren't full of half-brained idiots. They were a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Itachi… why did you do it? Why did they make you do something that horrible? I had no feelings of compassion. I didn't feel love. I never felt joy. So… why is it that I wasn't supposed to have a heart, and every time I thought of the Uchiha incident, my chest hurt? It got tight and almost unbearably painful. Why?

"Hey… up ahead." one of my squad mates said. We came to a halt, and hid, looking up in front of us. "It's a Kumo squad… I can see my target." Echo said. The others could as well, and I could see _her_. I had found Aido Enzeru. She wasn't wearing a mask, and she was discussing something with her squad. "We have the element of surprise on our hands…" I said.

"Should we go ahead and take them out?" Echo asked. I assessed the squad, seeing that it was made up of six people. "You all good with one on one?" I asked. They all nodded. "Then let's roll." I said. We shot forward, quickly surrounding the enemy squad. "What?" one of the shinobi yelped. Aido shot up in a fighting stance. "Aido Enzeru?" I asked, pointing at the girl.

"Yeah?" she asked, narrowing her brown eyes. "You're hereby sentenced to death on order of Konohagakure ANBU." I announced. "What?" she yelped. "You can make final amends. I do not operate without slight mercy." I said. "Under what cause am I supposed to be assassinated?" Aido demanded.

"I don't do reasons. I just follow orders." I said, lunging at her with a kunai. I'd caught her off guard, but she narrowly dodged me, using the close proximity between us to yank off my mask. "Y… You!" she yelped.

"Do you know me? I promise I don't know you." I said, my tone low and dangerous. "Mizuki Hakumei! By order of Kumogakure ANBU, I hereby sentence you to death." Aido said. Now I was surprised. "You were sent to assassinate me?" I asked. She nodded, and that's when we both realized we were the only ones fighting. We turned around, to find our comrades surrounding us.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded. "Mizuki Hakumei, Konoha's Black Cat… you've been sentenced to death by order of Danzo." Echo said. "Aido Enzeru, Kumo's White Saint… you've been sentenced to death by order of Arashi." one of Aido's comrades said. "Why?" Aido yelled.

"You've both become threats to our villages. You are to be eliminated." Echo said. Aido and I drew our katanas at the same time, and they reacted oddly. The blades touched each other, and lightning erupted around us.

"The Hikari…" I breathed. "Yami?" Aido gasped. We looked at each other, and it was like something clicked. We turned so we were back to back, and I quietly said, "Truce?" "Yeah. Let's take these jerks down." Aido nodded. We lunged forward into a bloody affair that started us down our path of darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: … And Back**

**Aido**

She was so quiet. I'd noticed that she never expressed happiness or sadness… or fear… but she was still a good companion. "What?" Mizuki asked. I hadn't realized I'd been carefully watching her. "Oh, I was just thinking, that's all." I said, looking back at the road infront of us. She was such an intense person, sometimes it intimidated me.

Once we'd killed our squads for their betrayal, we'd decided to abandon our villages. All of those ungrateful cretins had been planning on the moment to kill us for years. They could all go to hell. After we slaughtered our "comrades", we had a bit of an awkward moment between us.

"So… I am Mizuki Hakumei." she had said, wiping some blood off of her face. "Aido Enzeru…" I replied. "They attacked someone for something they can't remember…" she'd softly said. "What? How did you know that?" I'd yelped. "What? I'm talking about myself." she said, arching an eyebrow.

"I can't remember anything from before I was fourteen!" I gasped. "I can't remember anything from before I was thirteen." She said, narrowing her eyes. "That means… We have to be connected! We only remember these past three years, we have the legendary Kami no Raiton blades… we must've known each other!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide.

She looked surprised, and softly asked, "Are you also without a clan?" I nodded, and she looked at me with intensity in her eyes. After a very long silence, she said, "All of these years, I've been searching for answers. You and me… we are the same." I nodded, and got an idea. "We should team up." I said. "Why?" she asked. "Well… we're both looking for the same thing, right?" I said.

"That is true… and you would be a strategic advantage to work with…" she said, leaning on Yami, which was stabbed into the ground. I blinked in surprise. She wouldn't think of me as a companion? Then I remembered her lack of emotions, and brushed it off. I could probably change that.

"I accept. I'll consider you my ally." she said, holding her hand out to me. I shook it and happily said, "Great! You and I can be friends!" She looked at me like I was high, and then shook her head. "Alright…" she said, looking at me with curiosity. She held curiosity, and that was a good sign. "So… what now?" I asked. We were still surrounded by the bodies of our former companions.

"I am finished with Konoha. I want nothing more from them, except the destruction of Danzo. My new goal is finding the answers to my past. Who am I? Who were my clansmen? I need those answered." She said, gazing off into the night, looking deep in thought. "I'm looking for the exact same answers too. I'm done with Kumo. Arashi has to die." I said, crossing my arms.

"Then you and I will get along splendidly. Let's go." She said. And that's how I found myself walking down an old road with her now. We had to find out who we were, and what our purpose was. "Let's stop at the next town and get a hotel. We needed to sit down and discuss what came next." she said, not taking her eyes off the road infront of us.

**Deidara**

I'd reached my last straw. I was going to murder Tobi. "Tobi!" I screamed. I barged into his room, seeing he wasn't in there, and I continued storming down the hallway of the hideout. "Where the hell are you hiding, Tobi? Come out and take it like a damn man!" I yelled. Hidan slammed the door to his room open, stumbling out into the hallway in only his boxers. "For fuck's sake! Shut the fuck up Deidara!" he shouted.

"Fuck off!" I yelled. "Oi! Deidara! What are you going off about now?" Kisame asked, as I stormed into the living room. He was sitting on the couch, remote in hand. "That bastard went into my room and fucked with my clay mix! I have to make a new one!" I ranted. Kisame rolled his eyes saying, "Sorry I asked." I glared at him and plopped down on the couch next to him, not even paying attention to the movie he was watching. I was thinking of how I was going to kill Tobi…

"Emergency meeting. Assemble in the sealing room, now." Pein's commanding voice rang out in my head. Kisame and I glanced at each other, and got up, heading to the sealing room with our comrades following. I glared at Itachi when he joined us. I couldn't stand the guy.

We knew something big had happened when we walked in and saw leader and Konan waiting for us in person. We fell into our rightful places on the sealing statue we used for the biju, awaiting Pein to tell us what was going on.

"We're putting all jinchūriki hunts on standby." he announced. "What? Why?" Kisame asked. Pein looked at him, and then said, "We've found something more important to pursue for now." I was surprised. What was more important than the jinchūriki? "What is it?" Kakuzu asked.

"It has come to my attention that two very highly skilled shinobi have defected from their villages. Konoha's Black Cat and Kumo's White Saint, to be exact." Pein said. I was surprised. I'd heard of both. "Very little information is known about them, but we've come to find out that they're both females." Pein continued.

"So what's this got to do with us?" Hidan asked. "They both can either be our greatest assets, or our greatest threats. Do you understand? These girls are of top priority." Pein said, giving Hidan an intense look. "So… what do we do?" Kisame asked.

"Bring them in, preferably alive. We could use these two. Their potential is astounding." Pein said. "Do we get descriptions? Or real names?" I asked. "That's where things get difficult." Pein sighed. "How so?" Itachi asked. His voice made me want to blow something up, namely him.

"We don't have photographs, or set descriptions. All we know is their names. This is the hard part. Kumo's White Saint is a girl by the name of Aido Enzeru, and Konoha's Black Cat is a girl by the name of Mizuki Hakumei." Pein said in a grave tone. We all fell silent.

"It's been quite some time since I've heard of the Hakumei and Enzeru. The clans were wiped out." Kakuzu said. "Apparently not. If we can get our hands on these girls, we increase our success rate by a hundred fold. If they turn against us, then we have a very significant chance of failure." Pein explained.

"So… we're pursuing the last surviving members of two extinct clans, only knowing that they're females?" Sasori asked. "That is correct." Pein said, glancing at him. "Well that fucking sucks! We don't know what they look like, they're really strong, and they are apparently good at disappearing!" Hidan yelled. "Congrats. You can point out the obvious." Kakuzu snorted. "Shut the hell up!" Hidan snapped. I wanted to make Hidan explode into a violent nothingness.

"They are your new assignments. I need them. Got it?" Pein said in a commanding tone. We all nodded, and he dismissed us. I turned my glare to Tobi, who quickly booked it out of my sight. Good. I was going to fucking murder that brat.

"So… I guess we head out." Kisame said to Itachi. "I guess so." he said, not even looking at me. I wanted to kill him. Sasori nodded at me, and I followed him out. Before leaving, however, I managed to punch Tobi in the face. It was so satisfying.

**Mizuki**

I was alone, surrounded by nothing but darkness. "Hello?" I called out. My voice echoed, but I received no answer. "Figures…" I muttered, starting to walk in a random direction. It was like I was walking on water, with each step causing a rippling motion. This was annoying, to say the least. I continued on, musing in my thoughts. Why was I able to feel anger? I felt curiosity as well… but it was perplexing in any case.

"Forsaken… brought to nothing… will you make it back?" a woman's voice rang out. I spun around, my duel fans drawn. "Who's there?" I demanded, with my voice echoing into the darkness. "Just a piece of what once was… nothing more, nothing less, a ghost if you will." she said. Her voice was smooth and silky like mine, but whereas mine was dangerous and cold, hers was warm and inviting.

"Show yourself!" I yelled. A breeze came through, blowing my hair back. The breeze, surprisingly, wasn't ominous, but a gentle breeze that smelled like a spring day right after a rainstorm. I felt my body relax only a bit, but I still remained rigid, ready to spring into a fight at any moment.

"I am trying… but I cannot just yet. I am not strong enough… and by me not being strong enough, I mean you are not strong enough." She softly said. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, and the breeze died down. "Rest… do not dwell in what cannot change for the time being." She gently said. I was confused…

"Grow and evolve. Things will come in due time." The woman said, with her voice getting softer and farther away. I started running after it, feeling as if I needed to catch her. There was no point in this, because I was soon all alone again. I stopped running, coming to a stop and catching my breath. I didn't know what she meant by getting stronger. Everything that came out of her mouth was some strange philosophical riddle, and I didn't like that one single bit. I gave an irritated sigh, and sat down, lost with my loneliness…

I opened my eyes and sat up, breathing hard. What was that? Some sort of dream? It was insane, however… I looked to my left and saw Aido sleeping soundly in the other bed. We were sharing a hotel room. I shook my head, with my hair falling even more into my face. That dream was bizarre…

I stood up, stretching. It was mid-afternoon. Aido and I had been doing most of our travelling by night, to fit in with my sleep cycle. I was nocturnal. Danzo had trained me that way. I shook my head bitterly at the thought of that rat. If I ever saw him again, I would kill him.

There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He needed to pay for what he's done, to both me, and for some reason… he needed to pay for what he did to Itachi. I didn't know why I'd become so defensive of him. I didn't know him. I'd never met him… but he needed to have someone on his side…

I went into the bathroom, turning on the shower and getting in once the water was warm. I wish I could meet him. Just once I'd like to get the chance to sit down and talk to him. I had questions I wanted answered… and though the chances were slim; I bet he could help me answer more than just what I wanted to know about Danzo. And… I wanted to personally apologize to him. I worked for the man that forced him to destroy his clan, his relationships, and his honor.

I closed my eyes for what felt like a moment, and opened them, hearing Aido knock on the bathroom door. "Mizu…? You okay?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm almost done." I called. I quickly washed my body and hair, getting out about ten minutes later.

I don't know when, but somewhere in the month and a half we'd spent together, Aido and I had begun using nicknames. She called me Mizu, and I called her Ai. I suppose this was what it was like having a "best friend."

Aido gave me a concerned look when I came out of the bathroom, and I just waved my hand. "I'm fine. I fell asleep." I said, trying to dismiss her concern. I didn't need her to worry about me. "Okay… I'll just go shower…" she said, going into the bathroom. I nodded and went over to my bed, laying out my clothes. I had a towel wrapped around me, and I quickly put on my bra and underwear.

I got dressed, and sat on my bed, staring out the window, watching the sunset. We were somewhere in the Land of Rivers, which was between Konoha and Suna. The climate was moderate, which was a good thing for me. I couldn't stand heat. I preferred it if the temperature outside was 70 degrees or lower. I also preferred snow and rain over sunshine. Miserable weather relaxes me.

When Aido came out of the bathroom, she was dressed and looked like she was ready to go. "Where to next?" she asked. We'd been aimlessly wandering around, not knowing what to do with ourselves. We didn't know where to start looking.

We packed up our stuff and checked out of the hotel, starting off down the road. We were headed west. "Look… we should figure out a clue of some sort…" I said, breaking the silence. "Yeah… but where do we start? Our clans are all extinct…" Aido softly said. "I realize this… so we ask people who may have been around to at least hear of them. Any bit of information helps." I said. "Well that's great, but how do we find these people?" Aido asked. "Follow me, Ai." I said, continuing my walk…

We had our cloaks pulled up above our heads as we walked through Iwagakure, keeping our eyes dead-set on the village street ahead of us. We wore our ANBU masks, being sure to make our presence as little known as possible. Occasionally a person would give us a curious glance, but then they'd continue on with whatever they were doing. We masked our chakra signatures, knowing full-well that our chakra was distinguishable.

"Where are we going?" Aido murmured, walking by my side as we walked through the village streets. "We are going to talk to the Tsuchikage." I replied. "What? Why?" Aido whisper-hissed. "He is the oldest of the five Kage's, and may know something of our clans." I replied.

"But… Iwa won't like ANBU from Kumo and Konoha being here!" Aido protested. "We will give him something in return for helping us, and by staying silent." I explained. "Like what?" Aido asked. "Just come along." I said. She gave an irritated sigh, and we kept moving.

After a few more minutes, we came to the Tsuchikage's mansion at the center of the village, and made our way inside. As expected, we were quickly stopped by guards. "What on earth are Konoha and Kumo ANBU doing here? And together, at that?" a girl said. "We come without ill-will. We merely would like an audience with the Tsuchikage." I said. The girl glared at me, but my face was emotionless, although she couldn't see it.

"Look, I don't know how things work where you're from, but you can't just barge in here and demand to see our leader!" she yelled. "Lower your voice. I have not demanded anything." I said in a frosty tone. "Excuse me?" she shouted. "I was clear, was I not?" I replied. She stormed forward, trying to act intimidating, but it wasn't working out for her. She looked like a child about to throw a tantrum. "Kurotsuchi! Restrain yourself!"

Everyone turned to see a small, old man with a large nose fuming at the girl infront of me. "But… but she started it!" Kurotsuchi said, pointing at me. I ignored her and turned to face the Tsuchikage.

"Mi'lord, my companion and I would like to have an audience with you. Preferably alone, but seeing as how strained you must be, we're alright with two guards." I said, bowing. The Tsuchikage looked Aido and I over, and then nodded, motioning for us to follow him.

We followed him into his office, with Kurotsuchi and another person, a very large man stood by the door. "Kurotsuchi… don't be so tense." The man said. "Shut up, Akatsuchi!" Kurotsuchi yelled. "You should control your temper and let it out for more useful things, such as combat." I coldly said to her. She glared at me, and looked like she was going to lunge, but Akatsuchi put a humongous arm infront of her, blocking her.

"My granddaughter has my temper. Why don't you two sit?" the Tsuchikage said, motioning to two seats infront of his desk. We did, and I put the hood of my cloak down, taking off my ANBU mask. Aido did the same, but we were still cautious, with masks covering the bottom halves of our faces.

"I suppose we should cut straight to the chase, seeing as how I don't feel like dragging this out longer than I must." I said. "Well… get to it." The Tsuchikage said. I nodded. "My companion and I are no longer shinobi of Konoha and Kumo. We have gone rogue." I said. The Tsuchikage looked surprised, and Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi got tense.

"So… you're criminals?" the Tsuchikage asked. "We're criminals only because we were targeted by our own comrades. They felt we were a threat." Aido said. "… So… that's why a Kumo and Konoha shinobi are together?" he asked. "That would explain part of it. The other part is because we're both searching for the same thing." I said. "Such as?" he asked. "Answers." I replied.

"What sort of answers, and why have you come to me with this?" he asked, growing slightly uneasy. "My name is Mizuki Hakumei, and this is Aido Enzeru." I said. The silence was deafening. "You must be joking. Those clans have been extinct for almost fifty years." the Tsuchikage huffed.

"I was known as Konoha's Black Cat, and Aido as Kumo's White Saint. If I remember correctly, about six months ago, I killed a squadron of your assassins." I said, with my eyes taking in the Tsuchikage's every move. He looked shocked, and then angry. "So… it was you?" he growled. "Like I said, I have no intentions of fighting anyone. I merely came for information." I said. "Such as?" he barked. "What happened to our clans?"

We all turned to Aido, who'd asked that in a quiet tone. "What?" he asked. "We just want to know what happened. We want to know why, and where. We don't care about political affiliations, and we don't care about nationality. We just want to know who we are." Aido said, meeting his eyes. I couldn't be sure, but I could almost see tears forming in her eyes.

"I… I don't know the full details, but I've had many encounters with your clans back when I was a young'un. One day, they disappeared. Poof. There was no trace of them. All I knew was that something _had_ to have happened. And I was right! We came across a temple, dedicated to the clans, and we saw bodies everywhere. Every temple in the world, dedicated to the Hakumei and Enzeru, all were filled with bodies. There was no one left. The deaths of the clans soon became a trigger for the second and third great shinobi wars. The clans helped keep the peace, and with them gone… we all got unruly." The Tsuchikage explained.

I knew the look on my face was shocked. Aido's was as well. I was the first to partially recover, and I softly said, "We need to start finding those temples…" The Tsuchikage gave a tired sigh. "What is it?" Aido asked. "Most of those temples have probably been destroyed. The Enzeru and Hakumei possessed incredibly powerful kekkei genkai. Out of respect for the clans… and to protect their secrets, the clan's close allies destroyed everything they could of the two." The Tsuchikage said.

"Who were our allies?" I asked. They didn't do it out of respect. They did it to hide something. The Tsuchikage gave me an uncertain look, but sighed in defeat. "The Enzeru were closely allied with the Senju clan, and the Hakumei were closely allied with the Uchiha." he bitterly said. I became quiet at the mention of the Uchiha. Apparently I had more to do with the clan than just reading their classified file.

"The Senju?" Aido asked, looking at me in confusion. "One of the founding clans of Konoha." I explained. She still looked confused, and I turned back to the Tsuchikage. "Sir… we'd like to offer you something as retribution for your cooperation, and if you'd keep this meeting a secret." I said, reaching into my back pouch. Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi tensed again, and I pulled out a scroll, doing a summoning, with two thick files appearing.

"What are those?" the Tsuchikage asked in a demanding tone. "These are files of information on our previous villages. We figured you'd appreciate these as reading material." Aido said. The Tsuchikage looked as if he'd struck gold. "We ask that in return, you tell us the locations of the temples you know of, and your silence of our meeting." I requested. He eyed the files hungrily, and nodded. "Then here you go. Enjoy!" Aido said with the hint of a smirk in her tone.

She handed the files to him, and he quickly got out an international map, marking down circles in three different colors. In the north, there were vibrant red-pink circles, and in the south there were bright green circles. Scattered across the map were blue circles, which were in a bunch of different regions.

"These are the locations of Enzeru and Hakumei related sites I know of. The red circles are Hakumei, and the green are Enzeru. These blue markings are places where both clans were often found. As you can see, the Hakumei originated in the north, and the Enzeru came from the south." He explained. I looked at the map with interest, taking it and sealing it away. "Well then… thank you for your time." I said, getting up and bowing. Aido did the same and we left the mansion, walking back down the streets of Iwa once again.

"We've actually got a lead…" Aido breathed. I nodded; clutching the scroll I sealed the map away in as if my life depended on it. We made sure to walk quickly through the village, but still trying not to draw attention to ourselves. Our ANBU masks had been put back on, and we walked closely together.

We made our hasty exit, but for one moment… I thought I felt a spike of a faintly familiar chakra. I stopped, looking around in the middle of a market place. No one was sticking out. "Neko?" Aido asked, using my codename. I scanned the market place again, my eyes intense as I searched for the source.

I couldn't see whoever they were. I looked back at Aido, who tilted her head in concern and confusion. The chakra signature vanished. "It's nothing, Tenshi. Let's just go…" I said, using her codename. She gave me a long look before nodding, and we rushed out of the village. I couldn't help but feel as if we were being watched… and it bothered me, especially considering that it wasn't a Konoha shinobi. Perhaps it was a Kumo…?

It had been about two and a half months since Aido and I had begun travelling together. This last month had been spent investigating the sights of our clan's temples and compounds. The Tsuchikage hadn't been lying. Every place we'd visited on the map so far had no trace of our clans. Occasionally we'd see an old wall or something that didn't get torn down, and had the faint crest of one of our clans, but otherwise… there was nothing there…

"This is getting irritating." I said, sitting on a roof of a small town with Aido, eating my onigiri. "Yeah… it's long winded and produces little results…" Aido sighed. I scoped the crowded town, and my eyes came to a rest on a sight that angered me.

Three shinobi boys in an alley were doing spray-paint graffiti all over a wall with the Enzeru crest on it. They covered the crest in an insulting picture of a part of the male anatomy, and I clenched my fist, teleporting into my signature cherry-blossom flowers, with Aido calling, "Wait! Where are you going?"

I appeared behind the chuckling shinobi, all of them at least eighteen. "I hope for your sake you're planning on cleaning that up." I said darkly. They spun around, eyeing me intensely. Then the tallest of the three, the obvious leader, got a smirk on his face, approaching me.

"Baby girl… you're quite the beauty. Why're you telling us to clean up? It's art." he purred. My glare intensified. "No… art is beauty that is original, and can never be recreated. That _thing_ is not art. It's the essence of immaturity and the lowest form of functional life. You've defiled a sacred symbol. Clean up the trashy graffiti. Now." I demanded.

The guy smirked, getting right infront of me, his breath tainted with the slightest hint of alcohol. I didn't like this at all… no… I didn't like them… "Baby girl… what makes you think you can tell us what to do?" he asked, brushing some hair out of my face. I grabbed his hand, shattering it.

"The fact that I could slaughter you before you could think, "I should've listened." I am much stronger than you." I said, digging my midnight blue nails into his skin, causing him to bleed. He howled in pain, and I released him, my eyes absolutely cold. "You little bitch…" his shortest companion snarled.

He lunged at me, and in one swift, lightning enhanced move, my hand was totally through his chest. He looked at me with a stunned look, and then the light left his eyes, and his body went limp as I yanked my hand out of his chest, with him thudding to the ground.

The other two looked terrified. "Are you wanting to die…?" I asked in a low voice. They were shaking, but the tall one once again did something stupid. He attacked me, causing his companion to follow in his example. In less than thirty seconds, they were both dead. I stared at them, and then dashed out of the alley.

I used the backstreets of the town, once again feeling that odd chakra signature that was leering behind me. I spun around; the street I was on was totally empty. I was alone. But I had been trained mandatory under Danzo as a sensory type first of all. Someone was here. "Who's there?" I asked, my voice low and deadly.

"Mizu? What are you doing?" Aido asked. I spun around, facing her, and the chakra vanished suddenly. "Mizu… what happened?" she asked, approaching me with a concerned look. "What?" I asked. "You've got blood sprayed all over you!" she said, looking me over intensely, searching for any wounds. I swatted her hands away. "I'm fine… it's not mine. We should leave." I said, looking around cautiously.

She looked hurt for a second, but then shook her head, looking at me with excitement. "When you were off… doing whatever it is you were doing… I met this old woman who has been around for a really long time, and she started talking about the fact that the Enzeru used to run this town. I got curious and started asking about the Hakumei too, and she said that if there was one place that would have at least superficial information on them." she said in a rush.

"What? Where?" I asked, my interest taken from the mysterious chakra presence to information on our clans. "You know the Hoshizaki clan?" she asked. I nodded. The Hoshizaki "clan" was a large group of shinobi who were basically mercenaries.

They resided in their own town, and there were no women or children there. Only male shinobi twenty and older lived there. If they wanted to be with their families, they left on pass on the weekends. They didn't strike me as "good parents"… or husbands to say the least.

"So… we head out to Hoshizaki… and take the place and extract the information we need." I said, crossing my arms, looking thoughtful. "I guess so." she grinned. "Great. I've been to Hoshizaki before, so I can get us there easily. We can do recon and such once there." I said, figuring that we'd need preparation time.

"That sounds good. Let's go!" she grinned. I nodded, and we headed out of the village. As we made our way from the town, I could hear the panicked cry of a woman. _"Oh my god! Someone, help! Three boys are dead!" _

I continued walking down the path with Aido, and I could hear the faint sounds of panic set in at the small town. They most likely had never dealt with something like that; the brutal murders of three young men. They also probably didn't even know the guys.

Their hitai-ate said they were from the Kirigakure, and we were in the outskirts of the Land of Stone. Well… it didn't really matter anymore. The scum were dead. Just three more tallies on my death toll.

We kept moving, far off into the bright, midday sun, most likely with only more questions than answers running through our minds. Who were we? What did we even stand for? And the one question that just kept plaguing my mind… What was my purpose?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Anger Calling Out to Others**

**Mizuki**

I furiously wrote down the sight I was witnessing. I was hidden, and writing down notes on the behaviors of the Hoshizaki… it was fascinating… I was watching how an all-male society was functioning. "Hey! Watch where you're going, punk!" a large man yelled at a smaller man. "Why don't you, dick-wad!" the smaller man yelled right back.

_As expected… the male testosterone is apparent. Males are unusually hostile towards each other, the lack of females leave the men uncivilized. There is an angry feeling set in over this place. It's almost toxic…_ I wrote in a little black notebook. I've always been good on picking up the vibes of others emotions. There was an angry tone to this entire city… and it was fueling quite a bit of hostility.

The guys started to brawl it out, and I walked stealthily away, my footsteps silent as always. Silence was golden to me. I didn't talk much, and I didn't make much noise either. I preferred it if I was like a ghost. It made my job as a shinobi all that much easier.

I got back to camp where Aido was waiting for me, cooking some fish. "What did you get on this run?" she asked, poking our modest campfire with a stick. She's used a fire-style jutsu to start the fire, and now it was going strong, even though it was small.

"Well… unlike Konoha, they don't have a detection barrier set up around the perimeter, and they are all very angry. They're producing a hostile sort of vibe, probably because there are no females in the city. The testosterone levels are most likely altering the mood of the residents." I said, handing her my notebook. She took it, flipping through it.

We'd been camped out outside of Hoshizaki for two weeks, gathering information on our targets. Aido and I alternated our watches, each taking detailed notes of the section of the city we were surveying. One thing I noticed about her was the fact that she was definitely an insomniac, and I had to force her to sleep by using genjutsu. She had taken the last stakeout on the southern border of the city, and I had just finished a survey of the northern gate. It would be mere child's play to break in.

"So… when should we do it?" she asked, while we sat down to eat our fish. I got quiet for a moment, thinking of all the variables we had to consider. "Well… maybe tonight? It looks like they're all there, and they'll be there for a while. We might as well get it out of the way." I said, taking a bite out of the fish. I liked eating seafood.

She looked at me and started to giggle. "What?" I asked, with my eyebrow arched. "You're just like a cat!" she giggled. I gave her a blank look, and she just waved her hand, telling me to forget about it. I took another bite of my fish, wondering if that was what made her compare me to a cat. All I was doing was eating…

We decided that tonight was the night we'd attack, and we started making our preparations. It was noon now, and we had until nine tonight to prepare. This task may prove to be a challenge… _may_. But we needed this. This was our new reason for existence. We were operating on our thirst for knowledge. Though… somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew something big was going to happen tonight. I just didn't know what…

**Deidara**

This was getting to be pretty tiresome. I couldn't believe leader halted all of our jinchūriki hunts just to go find two chicks. They probably weren't even attractive. Most likely in their late twenties, and all cut up and scarred from their years of wear and tear as shinobi. That was never attractive…

I gave a sigh, and continued walking, trying not to get too irritated by it. The town I was getting ready to reach was a small one, and as everyone knows; in a small town, everybody knows everybody. I'd decided early on to look by myself, figuring that the others would just get in my way.

I walked into the town, immediately knowing something was wrong. Everyone looked terrified. There weren't any children playing in the streets, and the people who were out on the streets were all in groups, whispering and looking around anxiously. I approached a man who was selling onigiri, knowing I looked confused.

"Um… excuse me? I was wondering if you could tell me what's going on?" I asked. The man looked me over, and said in a low voice, "This town just had its very first homicide." I blinked in surprise. They'd never had a killing before? That was weird.

"Yeah… three high ranked Kirigakure jonin boys were murdered. One's missing a huge chunk of his chest, and the others had some pretty bad stab wounds. They said that electricity was used on all of them." the man said, whispering as if he was telling a secret. I wasn't really all that interested, until an older woman came up, looking happy.

"Those girls were so kind!" she grinned. "Hello, Jun! You talking about those two drifters?" the man asked the elder woman. "Of course! They left me such pretty flowers!" she grinned. "They bought some onigiri from me. You know what the taller girl reminds me of?" the man asked, looking happy. "What?" Jun asked. "A cat!" he laughed. My interest was definitely caught.

"Oh, I can definitely see that!" Jun laughed. "Two drifters passed through here? Both female?" I asked, getting a really good feeling about this bit of information. "Yup! They were so nice! Actually… the shorter one was much friendlier… the taller one was polite, but a little icy. They must be shinobi." the man said.

"Do you know their names?" I inquired, mentally grinning. The man shrugged, not knowing, and Jun gave a thoughtful look, and sighed, "They only used codenames. The shorter girl was called Tenshi, and the taller girl was called Neko." That was more than enough for me. "What did they look like?" I asked, thrilled to be the first to find a lead.

"Well… they were both wearing masks that covered the bottom halves of their faces… But the taller one is very pale with dark brown hair and the shorter one had light brown hair and was a healthier skin tone." Jun said. "Do you know where they went?" I asked, not caring that the eagerness was written all over my face.

"Well… they didn't directly tell me… but Tenshi kept asking me a lot about the Hakumei and Enzeru clans. I told her the only place I know of that may have documentation on the clans would be Hoshizaki. They thanked me with flowers!" Jun gushed, looking ecstatic. "Thank you so much!" I said, running out of the village.

I had a lead. I knew I would find them, and then I could go back to doing something productive with my time; creating new and beautiful forms of explosions. I didn't want to look for two damn nuisances. I didn't like being forced to just drop everything and rush to do something leader was too lazy to do himself. Of course… if I had my way, I wouldn't even be in the Akatsuki… I didn't really like anyone there.

I mean, Sasori no danna was a great master, even if he had a warped sense of art. Hidan just flat out fucking sucked. Kisame was a little odd, what with his appearance and all. I hated Itachi's guts. I wanted to rip them out. Zetsu was weird with how he had split personalities; his subordinate Tobi drove me insane. I was going to kill that pumpkin-masked little fucker… Kakuzu was too concerned with money to catch my interest as a person. Konan seemed nice enough, but I never really saw her all that much. And Pein, our leader… he wasn't a people person. I was a little lonely to tell the truth.

I kept running down the forest path, heading away from the village, when I ran smack into one of my least favorite people; Hidan. "Hey! Watch where you're going, fuck face!" he yelled, glaring at me. "Why don't you, asshole?" I shouted. This was a normal thing with the Akatsuki. We guys were always yelling at each other. "Because I was walking and you ran right into me! Open your fucking eyes, Deidara-_chan!_" he snarled.

I felt my eye twitch when he said Deidara-chan. I hated it when the other members treated me like a kid, just because I was the youngest. I'm nineteen. I wasn't a baby. "Hidan, I'm warning you…" I started. Then I realized that I didn't have time for his stupidity. I needed to get to Hoshizaki before the two god damned nuisances disappeared.

"You know what? Fuck you. I've got somewhere to be." I said, running past him. He caught up, albeit slowly, and gave me a look that screamed, _"What do you know that I don't?"_ "You found out where they are. Didn't you?" he asked, in more of a hiss than anything. "I found out where they may be headed. They could be gone if I don't get there fast." I said, pushing forward. "Well take me with you!" Hidan yelled, trying his hardest to catch up.

Here's the thing with Hidan; he was the slowest member of the entire Akatsuki. Granted, he was still really fast, and in top physical condition. He was just slower than the rest of us. I didn't really want him coming with me… but in the event I happened to come across the targets, I might need some backup judging from their reputations.

"Fine." I huffed, making a clay bird. I wanted to save as much clay as possible, even though I knew I had plenty. I didn't know these girls' abilities. All I knew was that it wasn't going to be a cakewalk. Hidan and I took off, heading towards the Hoshizaki clan city, which was a couple hours away by flight. It was dark now… I could only hope I got there before these damn girls disappeared again…

**Mizuki**

We were well into our operation, having started it merely two hours ago. So far, we weren't greeted with open arms. Aido and I had to use straight up force. The result? We killed everyone in the entire city. And for those of you keeping score, that's six hundred people. The fact that we weren't having any luck was also making us more hostile as well…

"Please don't hurt me!" the man before me squeaked. I quickly brought my ANBU short sword down on him, promptly ending the pathetic life he lived. "Trash." I darkly said. "You haven't found anything either?" Aido asked. We were in one of the records buildings, where we'd just taken out several men. Honestly… these people dared to call themselves a formidable military asset?

"No." I growled. I was getting irritated. It took a lot to make me lose my temper, but I was ten times as deadly as I was now when I did. "I'm going to go check out the building across the street." I said, heading towards the front door. "Okay. I'll be in the upstairs of this one." Aido said, looking a little uneasy. "Are you alright?" I asked. "I don't like this town…" she said, stopping for a moment on the stairs.

I gave an impassive shrug "Why? Because we killed all of these worthless bastards?" I offered. They town would be considered creepy by most people, other than me. It was dead silent, and the streets were empty. We at least had enough sense to put all of the bodies inside the buildings, out of sight. Well… except for one section. We ran out of room in that block, so we just left the corpses there. It wasn't along the main street though, so it was hidden enough.

"I'm not really sure why… I just don't like it…" Aido said, going up the stairs, walking into what seemed to be a library. I shrugged and walked across the empty street to the building across from the one Aido was in, finding that this building was totally empty. Odd…

I walked up a winding staircase, my eyes scanning the perimeter, not finding a soul. Aido and I were both wearing masks that covered the bottom halves of our faces from the bridge of our noses down, in order to conceal our identities. In truth, we'd gone through a lot of effort to keep our presence to the world on the down low; even going so far as to fake our own deaths.

I walked into a file room, deciding to just pick up a file on a desk, and begin skimming. It wasn't much of a search method, but we couldn't do any better. It's not as if these barbarians know how to properly organize a file…

I kept skimming through file after file, none of them having any inkling of information on the Hakumei or Enzeru. Damn… this was getting to be incredibly frustrating. I began flipping through another file, when I felt the presence of someone else's chakra, and it wasn't Aido. I decided to just keep reading, figuring that if they wanted to confront me, they could. I planned on ignoring whoever it was, until I heard the deeper voice of a male say, "Hello there."

I glanced behind me, not looking at his face, but only his clothing. He was wearing the infamous black cloak with red clouds on it. He was a member of the Akatsuki… "I have no business with you. Leave, before the little patience I have left expires." I said, setting the file down. He didn't leave. He stood right behind me. I decided to turn around and face the guy who was testing my patience.

He was visually appealing. He was a couple inches taller than me, and had long blonde hair that was in a half ponytail, and intense sea-blue eyes with long, black eyelashes. He had a peach skin tone, which was sun kissed, and a spark of excitement in his eyes.

"Are you by chance… Mizuki Hakumei?" he asked, looking me over. I met his gaze, my eyes cold. "And if I am?" I frostily asked, narrowing my eyes into a slight glare. "No. There is no way this is Konoha's Black Cat of Death…" a second man said, stepping into the light. He was taller than the blonde, and had silver hair that was slicked back. He too was wearing an Akatsuki cloak.

The blonde smiled, looking at me with a somewhat arrogant demeanor. "If you are, you're coming with us." he said, his grin still standing. I arched an eyebrow, and icily said, "I don't like repeating myself. I have no business with you." I brushed past the blonde, heading for the door. He grabbed my arm, saying in a more edgy voice, "That is not acceptable."

I closed my eyes, and suddenly spun around, grabbing the back of his neck and slamming him to the ground with a lot of force, pinning him there. "You initiating physical contact with me isn't acceptable either." I growled. "Heh… She's vicious, Deidara…" the silver-haired man smirked. The blonde, Deidara, rolled his eyes and suddenly shoved me off of him, slamming me into a wall, knocking the wind out of me. "Then come without a fight." He grinned.

I glared, and did a simple handsign. There was a sudden explosion, which I caused by using lightning, and I took the opportunity of the chaotic moment to bolt out of the building, and go get Aido. I ran into the building I last saw her in, bolting up to the library. Sure enough, she was reading a book.

"Aido, we've got to move. Akatsuki." I said. She immediately stood up and we started running. "What does the Akatsuki want with us?" she asked, as we turned down a side street, coming onto one of the streets littered with bodies. "I don't know. And I don't plan on finding out." I said, as we dodged and weaved in between bodies. I pulled us into an alleyway, just in time to hear the silver-haired man say in a shocked tone, "They… They took out the Hoshizaki…" "Come on, Hidan. We need to catch them." Deidara said.

I pulled Aido through the alley, running out onto another street and out of the town. I grabbed Aido's wrist as we ran to the edge of a cliff, which had a river flowing below. Before she could stop me, we jumped off the cliff, plummeting into the waters below. _"Water style; Air Release!" _I said, launching a jutsu that allowed us to breathe in the water and get the oxygen from it. "There are two of them." I said, looking up at the sky.

**Deidara**

I was overjoyed to finally have found them. It seriously just made my day. I wouldn't need to search like crazy for them anymore. All I needed to do was apprehend them, _alive_, and dump the annoyances in Pein-sama's lap. But… when I walked into that room where the Hakumei was, I was a bit surprised.

Though I couldn't see her face, I still liked what I saw. She wasn't some old scarred up hag, but was young, and had a youthful appearance to her. She was probably around twenty-one or twenty-two. Her hair was a dark, rich brown pulled into a low ponytail, and her pale skin looked white when hit by the moon. When we made eye contact, I felt my heart clench.

She had the most intense silver-blue eyes. They were the only thing that screamed "Battle Hardened" about her. She had long, black eyelashes, and her pale skin looked like an almost blue tone when hit by the moonlight. But the one thing I saw in her eyes I didn't like was the fact that they held no ounce of youth or innocence. Sure, they were beautiful… but any happiness, or excitement was drained from them.

I was surprised, however, by how hard she slammed me to the ground. She was quick, and she was deadly, and she was well aware of it. I had a feeling that one of her purposes in the ANBU was to seduce targets… all of this just made me wonder what her face looked like.

However, I didn't get a taste of how deadly she was until Hidan and I ran after her, and rounded a street corner, only to come to find the street covered in practically every square inch with dead bodies. "They… They took out the Hoshizaki…" Hidan breathed, shocked. I was shocked too, but I wanted to find her, knowing that the Enzeru was most likely with her.

"Come on, Hidan." I said, making a clay bird and jumping on it. Hidan got on, and sure enough, the second we were in the air, he started his crap. "Gah… They should just come to us. I hate it when girls play hard to get… although… their usually not as good in bed as the ones playing hard to get…" he said, sitting cross-legged on the bird. Despite the fact that was true, I didn't need this right now.

"Shut the hell up and help me find them… assuming they're together…" I snapped, looking around using my scope. "What? You know… I saw the way you looked at Miss Kitty. You _like_ her." he teased. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to contain myself, "Yeah, yeah, sure. I'm madly in love. Now help me be reunited with her." I snorted.

Hidan just laughed, "She's so far out of your league." I gave a huff, and spotted something with my scope in the river. "Hey… look down there." I said, pointing. I could very vaguely see two dark spots rushing with the current underwater. "Face it. She's way too much for you to handle." Hidan snickered. I couldn't help but give my trademark smirk, "We'll see…"

"You know… in this case, she'd wear the pants in the relationship, and you'd wear the miniskirt!" Hidan cackled. I turned to him, glaring. "Hidan, you're really starting to piss me off. Someday you're going to find a girl who kicks the shit out of you, and you'll totally deserve it. Now let's go." I snapped, sending a couple of my little clay birds down to the water.

"You know I'm right. Besides, I like it rough." He snorted. I ignored that last comment, and just said, "Watch your back." He scoffed and replied, "I'm immortal, dipshit." All I could do was roll my eyes, and set off a series of bombs, hoping to lure out my stray kitten…

**Mizuki**

"There are two of them." I said, as Aido and I allowed the current to carry us down river. "Thanks." Aido said, looking up at the sky from under the water. "Well, there are two for now… but they could call in reinforcements." I said. Aido just stared at the sky, letting out only a "Hmm…" in response. I followed her gaze, and furrowed my brow in confusion.

"There's an abnormally large bird flying around out there. It's most likely them." I said, narrowing my eyes to get a better look. Aido didn't say anything, but just stared at the bird. I then saw that the bird was making a decent. "They probably found us…" I said, remembering that Deidara had a scope covering his left eye.

Aido gave a heavy sigh and said, "Let's make this quick." "Okay. I'll take the blonde. You can take the silver-haired one." I said, tilting my head to each side of my neck to stretch it out, earning a few cracks that were totally smothered by the water. "Okay… mist cover?" Aido suggested, holding a handsign up. "Yeah… Soak 'n fry…" I nodded, doing my own handsign.

"_Water style; aqua cascade."_

"_Fire style; pyro cascade."_

Aido and I spoke in unison, and immediately we used the river and her fire-style jutsu to create and explosion of thick mist, covering at least a radius of one mile. Aido and I jumped out of the water and stood ontop of it, waiting for the two Akatsuki members pursuing us to come closer. That's when a series of explosions went off in a rippling motion on the water.

Aido and I had to jump back to avoid three of the explosions, and I gave her a nod, running up the side of the cliff, pushing off of it, and leaping into the air towards the low-flying bird. I tackled Deidara, as Hidan jumped off, and we both went crashing to the water. "Miss me?" I asked the stunned Deidara, who I still had a grip on. Aido jumped up, grabbing Hidan and slamming him to the ground near the river, pulsing lightning into him through her hand.

"What the-? Get off!" he yelped. I had one arm wrapped around his neck, and the other around his waist, holding him firmly. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the bird repositioning itself to knock me off of him, and then I noticed that it was made of clay. I kept my arm around his neck as I used my other to send a lightning bolt out of my fingertips, striking the bird and destroying it.

"You're an earth style user? It looks like I have the upper hand." I said. I dragged him under the water, using my air release jutsu to allow us to breathe while the water squeezed around him, while I held onto him from behind. "What does the Akatsuki want?" I asked, whispering in his ear. From up above I could hear Hidan scream, "Hey! That hurt!" There was a pause, then Hidan said, "Damn, I got the cute one…"

Deidara grunted, "Our leader would like to speak with you two." Another clay creation emerged out of nowhere under us in the water, exploding, sending me through the water, and allowing Deidara to get free and out of the water. I growled in the back of my throat, jumping out of the water, and then lunging at him, wrapping my hands around his throat. "Why?" I demanded.

"Excuse me?" Aido shouted. She struck him with another bolt, clearly angered by her opponent. Hidan gave a predator-like smirk purring, "Ooh… you're feisty. I'm turned on." I focused my attention on the chocking Deidara, who managed to cough out, "Why… don't you… find… out?" He grabbed a kunai from my holster, and slashed me on the side, breaking free of my grip and leaping away, landing in a ready stance.

Aido narrowed her eyes, and grabbed Hikari, slicing Hidan through his heart. "Ow! Hey! That's going too far!" Hidan yelled, still alive. I was surprised by this, and so was Aido. She stared for a moment and then struck him with another, even larger bolt of lightning. I looked down at my bleeding side, touching it with my hand and then looked at the blood on my fingertips.

"It's such a vibrant color." I softly said, admiring how the moonlight hit the blood, making the crimson seem so… perfect. I pushed the thought out of my mind, and then lunged once more at Deidara, tackling him to the ground, straddling his hips, trying to out-strength him. That's when he shot a clay bird, with it exploding in my face.

**Deidara**

She was strong for a girl. I'd underestimated her physical strength when I first saw her. I knew she'd kill me if I didn't get her off of me. The fact she was straddling my hips was bad enough, but so was the fact that she was about to tear my face off. However, I was slightly spellbound when she had looked at the blood on her hand, saying that it was a vibrant color. It was… but I didn't know what it was about her that was so interesting to observe…

I knew I'd need to take some drastic measures to free myself, so I sent a clay bird to her face at point-blank range. She didn't have time to do more than put a hand up when it detonated, which wouldn't do anything to protect her. I had thought I'd won, but when the smoke from the explosion cleared, I saw something absolutely… gorgeous. "Uh… right. I don't think it's working." Hidan said to Aido, still totally alive.

Mizuki's hair had come loose from its hair tie and her mask had been torn off in the explosion. Not only was she unscathed, but she was beautiful. She looked down at me with her silver-blue eyes, and held no expression on her face. She had soft looking skin, and her lips were full and a pale, soft pink. Oh my god… she was a work of art all her own. I let out a gasp and stared at her in awe when I first saw her face.

It took me a minute to realize what had happened. When she brought her hand up to protect herself from the explosion, she'd used her raiton chakra to set off an electrical charge to block the explosion. I was angry it didn't work to get her off of me, but at the same time, I was happy I didn't damage her face. Wait… why did I care?

"Well… this isn't fun." Aido, the Enzeru, said in a bored tone. I didn't know what Mizuki was doing until I felt her pin my hands above my head. I looked at her in time to see her grab her ANBU short sword and stab my hands, piercing straight through both of my hand mouths, pinning them to the ground.

I let out an agonized scream of pain. I had never felt anything hurt me this badly before. It took a little bit of my willpower to not pass out, and I was writhing in pain under her. She was dangerous. How could something this beautiful be so dangerous?

"D-Damn!" I cursed. I used my legs to kick her off of me, and I painfully slid my hands up the blade of the sword, grabbing the hilt of the sword and tore it out of the ground, cringing as I yanked my hands off of the sword, biting my lip to avoid crying out in pain.

Hidan gave a creepy look, lunging forwards, and ripping Aido's mask off of her. "Wow… you're cute…" Hidan grinned, licking his lips. Aido glared at him, and said in a controlled voice, "I wish I could say the same thing about you." I looked back at Mizuki, who lunged at me one more time. But instead of attacking me… she locked her lips with mine, kissing me.

My eyes widened in shock. Her lips were so soft… They tasted like… well, I couldn't put my finger on it, but they tasted good. She was… different. There was this weird warmth inside of me, and I hesitantly reached forward, wrapping my arms around her, holding her close. I was kissing her back, and clinging to that weird… nice… warmth.

Seems that I wasn't the only one getting kissed; Hidan lunged at Aido, kissing her hard. I was surprised to see that as the kiss continued, blood dribbled down Aido's chin, and Hidan pulled away, licking his lips. Aido reared back, touching her hand to her lips, "What the?" Then I got a little distracted by my own kiss-attack.

Mizuki closed her eyes, and I did too. I held her closer, pressing my body against hers. She slowly slid her tongue into my parted lips, and I felt the blush burn my cheeks. What was this girl doing to me? Her tongue met mine, and as I deepened the kiss, I felt a large jolt pulse through me, knocking me onto my back, causing me to lose my sight for a minute.

I could hear Hidan as my vision came back, blurry at first, but becoming clearer and clearer. Hidan gave an ominous snicker, and I looked over, blurrily seeing him draw his Jashin ritual diagram. "Lord Jashin will be pleased." he grinned. Aido jumped at him, yanking him out of the diagram by his arm and slamming him to the ground, sitting on him and holding his arms down with her feet.

I looked back at Mizuki, who was standing a few feet away from me, studying me. I got up, suddenly realizing what happened. When she went in and started using tongue in the kiss, she sent a current of electricity through my body. This girl… she was definitely one of a kind.

"Did you feel the fireworks too? Or was that just me?" I asked, giving a sexy smile. She tilted her head, with her hair falling into her face. Good god, this girl was amazing. I grabbed a kunai, throwing at her with speed. She didn't even bother dodging it.

The kunai made a large gash on her upper right arm, and she just covered it with her hand. A second later, lightning radiated from the hand covering her wound, and she lifted her hand away, with the bleeding stopped. There was a painful looking black scar, and I knew she'd used lightning to sear her wound shut.

"Your emotions are causing you to lose. Instead of thinking of me intimately, you should be trying to kill me." she said. I was beginning to see that the kiss she gave me had absolutely nothing to do with emotion whatsoever. She was only trying to defeat me, and that was a tactical move. That actually stung. But when she locked her gaze with mine, I knew I had to hide the emotional blow.

Hidan managed to kick Aido off of him and finished his diagram, turning that weird black color with the white bone markings. That's when he stabbed his leg through with a retractable stake that he always kept on him. Aido let out a high-pitched yelp of pain and fell to the ground, looking stunned as she put a hand on her now bleeding leg.

I looked at Mizuki in the eyes and smiled, "Oh, but we need you alive." I held up a handsign and another one of my birds swooped down, grabbing Mizuki by her arms and shooting up into the air. I grinned as I muttered, "Katsu." The bird exploded, but to my surprise, Mizuki landed on the ground, crouching, and the only damage I could see were some minor burn marks and her clothes were a little tattered.

Aido held her hands over her wound for a moment, and I saw it get better. She was healing herself as the fight was going on. That was probably a good thing considering that Hidan looked like he was going to start hitting vital spots next. Aido got up, with a look of determination on her face. "Bring it on." she said, braced and ready for anything Hidan threw at her.

Mizuki stood up, once again unfazed by my attack. "You're too brash. You can't win trying to catch me off guard." she calmly said. In the split second she said those words, she was infront of me, and stabbed one of my hands again. I gritted my teeth, but managed to keep my cry of pain suppressed. "What's wrong? Didn't you want to be close to me?" she asked, her face right infront of mine. Yes. I did want to be close to her.

Hidan gave a laugh and stabbed his gut. "Hidan!" I yelled. If he kept this up, he was going to kill Aido. Leader would be furious, and I'd be punished for his stupidity! Aido sucked in a breath, and her light white and green chakra began healing the spot. Aido and Mizuki were much tougher than they appeared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Fate's New Plan**

**Mizuki**

I glanced at Aido, who was cringing for a moment as she healed her wound. "Are you alright?" I asked. I had my short sword impaling Deidara's right hand, while I had a grip on his left wrist. If I disabled his hands, it would be harder for him to use those annoying explosives.

"I can leave this hindrance." I offered, letting go of Deidara's wrist and cupping his chin in my hand. I looked back at him, making sure I was wary of his clay. "You'd do best to make a move, unless you want to die." I pointed out, noting that he was getting tired. I was beginning to tire a bit too, but I knew I couldn't show it. He would exploit that.

Hidan snickered at Aido, "Oh, ho, ho… you are the White Saint." I didn't like how he looked at her. It distracted me, and Deidara took that as the opportunity to kick me off of him in the stomach, breaking free from my grip and ripping his hand off of my blade, knocking it out of my hands. He picked up my sword and before I could jump out of the way, he threw it at me, running through my stomach.

I looked down at the blade, feeling a drop of blood trickle down my chin. This guy was beginning to test my patience. "Hidan, we should come back for them later…" Deidara said, breathing hard. I grabbed the hilt on the sword, and yanked the blade out of my body. It hurt a lot, but my irritation outshined the pain.

I turned my glare to Deidara, holding up a handsign. _"Combination style; Lightning Dragon jutsu."_ I growled, with a dragon circling around me that was made of water, with lightning pulsing through it and around it. "You shouldn't have done that." I said, shooting my dragon forward and striking Deidara with incredible force.

I sent him flying; knocking him hard enough to knock the utility belt he held his clay in off of him. He landed three-hundred yards away, skidding to a halt. "Damn. You two are pretty entertaining." Hidan replied. "If you want to live, you go to angel cakes here," he said, pointing to Aido, then to me, "and if you want to die, you got to this hellion." I put pressure on my wound, starting to feel slightly light-headed.

Aido ignored Hidan, and walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and sending light medical ninjutsu into my body to stop the internal bleeding on my stomach. "He's boring me. Are you ready to go?" she asked, keeping an eye on Hidan. I nodded, grabbing her hand and using a teleportation jutsu.

For some odd reason, whenever I teleported, I always teleported into cherry-blossom petals. Why? I don't know. But it was functional, and it got the job done. When I released my teleportation we were about fifteen miles away, infront of an abandoned home in a forest. I quickly made a clone made out of those odd petals, and Aido and I went inside, with me instantly collapsing on the old couch.

"We need our sleep. There will be more…" I said, staring up at the ceiling of the living room. Aido leaned against a wall, frowning as she stared out the broken window. "I'm not tired." she said after a few moments, looking like she was thinking about something.

I looked at her, and she looked back at me, looking pretty stubborn. I held up a simple handsign, and the air began to get thicker, and it smelled sweeter, like a spring day. "Sleep…" I urged in a calm voice. She opened her mouth to protest, but slid to the floor, immediately falling asleep. I quickly followed, knowing I'd need as much sleep as I could get.

**Deidara**

The dragon hit me like a ton of bricks, and I quickly found myself airborne, landing pretty far away, skidding to a halt on the ground. "Damn." I tsked, running back to the battle site. They were gone when I got there, causing me to let out a curse. "Told you she was too much for you." Hidan smirked, walking over to me. I glared at him, knowing I was going to do something I'd never had to do before.

"Leader? Um… we need reinforcements." I said, not believing I had to actually say those words. His serious voice echoed in my head, _"You need _WHAT_?"_ I gave a sigh, not happy about having to restate this. "We need RE-IN-FORCE-MENTS." I said, not caring to mask the irritation in my tone. There was a very long pause before Pein gave a tired sigh and said, _"Itachi and Kisame are close. Hurry up and _don't _disappoint me."_

I gritted my teeth, not bothering to say anything. Hidan could only laugh like a schoolgirl. "Oh, look! Your best friend Itachi is going to be here!" he cackled. I shot Hidan a glare and sat down on the ground, keeping the pressure as best as I could on my hands.

It took about half an hour before Kisame and Itachi arrived, and I was pissed off. I was mad that I had gotten hurt. I was mad that the girls got away. And I was mad that Itachi had to be my backup. "One of you bastards heal my hands." I snapped, not even bothering to let anyone speak.

"I take it you found them?" Kisame snickered, as Itachi walked to my side and started doing medical ninjutsu on my hands. Though it was convenient that Itachi had been able to learn some medical ninjutsu with his Sharingan, I still hated him and those stupid eyes. All they ever did was look at me and judge everything I did. That included my art too…

"Oh yeah. We found them, and _he_," Hidan started, pointing to me, "got his ass handed to him." I ignored him, glaring at Itachi while he healed my hands. It was definitely a high-tension zone. Anything at the moment could've set me off into a very violent rant.

"Anyway, we found them. Mizuki Hakumei; Konoha's Black Cat. Then the cute one Aido Enzeru; Kumo's White Saint. They're quite the handful." Hidan said, motioning to the wrecked landscape around us. There were bloodstains, craters from explosives, burns, lightning strike marks… and water puddles. They did a number on our venue.

"Well, they sound like fun." Kisame smirked, gripping the handle on Samehada. Why the hell did that guy look the way he did? He was just a big pile of weird… "There." Itachi said, finishing with my hands. The bleeding had stopped, and the wounds were almost all the way closed. "I guess I'll go to Kakuzu or Sasori if I want a good job done." I snapped, stalking off in a random direction, picking my utility belt as I did so. That was uncalled for, but it didn't matter to me. I hated the guy.

We started running, looking for any trace of the girls. After about three hours, we came within a hundred yards of an old, abandoned home. "They're in there." Itachi said, keeping his voice low. I just glared at the house. I didn't like being teamed up with him. Without warning Itachi lit the house on fire, and I glared at him, bracing myself for round two.

The fire quickly extinguished to mist with a loud _hiss_, and Aido and Mizuki stepped out of the mist, both with a katana. I hadn't seen these katanas before. The one Aido held had a pure white blade and an onyx black hilt, while the one in Mizuki's hand was exactly the opposite with an onyx blade and a pure snowy white hilt.

"Looks like we've actually got to take you seriously." Aido sighed, looking a little bored. She ran her blade against Mizuki's and lightning radiated around them wildly. Mizuki surveyed us, and stopped at Itachi, studying him intensely. "… Uchiha Itachi? I've wanted to meet you." she finally said. I clenched my fists, grinding my teeth together.

"Ouch. Itachi wins again." Kisame snickered. "Why the hell do you assume I care!" I snarled. Hidan was cackling like a hyena. Itachi gave the hint of a smirk, angering me even more. "I'm flattered. Why don't we talk at the Akatsuki hideout?" he said, scanning her with his eyes. I wanted to rip his throat out.

"Your flattery wasn't my goal. I wanted to meet you, but under different circumstances. Now I must treat you as if you're a threat to me, instead of an interest." she said, with the wind blowing her hair out of her face. That angered me. He was an _interest_ to her?

Kisame was eyeballing the katanas, practically drooling over them. "Are those the twin blades of lightning? Yami and Hikari?" he asked. "Yes. They are." Aido said, shooting a lightning bolt at him, knocking him onto the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you guys? Enough talk! Get them!" I yelled at the morons I called my comrades. I began forming clay birds, deciding to begin formulating a plan of some sort. My previous fight didn't work out so well… how could I win this one?

**Mizuki**

I was surprised to see Itachi this early on. I figured I'd meet him eventually, but I never expected it to be so soon. He had his Sharingan blazing, and I had to admit that I wanted to fight him. I didn't want to kill him; I just wanted to test myself. He just kept studying me, and gave me what seemed to be the ghost of a half-smile.

I was forced to ignore him for a moment, however. Hidan and Kisame Hoshigaki had decided to charge Aido, and I needed to back her up. Deidara had jumped onto a giant clay bird, and was looking at the scene, most likely deciding an action plan.

I used a simple handsign, and a whirlwind of cherry-blossom petals surrounded Hidan, knocking him out into my sleep-inducing genjutsu. I didn't really have a set style of genjutsu, like the Sharingan, but I was pretty decent at the genjutsu I could use. I knew Aido had Kisame under control when she grabbed his neck and pulsated lightning through him, mixing in some of her fire-style to sweeten the injury.

"Very nice genjutsu." Itachi said, drawing my attention back to him as he used a jutsu that trapped me in a twister of fire, burning me and cutting me. He was trying to cut off my oxygen, and I couldn't let him do that. Deidara decided to focus on Aido, and began firing off bombs. Kisame passed out from Aido's hold on his neck, and was busy dodging Deidara's explosives. But I couldn't focus on her right now…

I took a deep breath and used a lightning-water dragon, pushing his twister away. "You're living up to your namesake." I noted, landing on the ground, crouching. I was breathing hard. He was very, very, very good. I stood up, locking my eyes with his. That was a mistake. He only shrugged, and his eyes changed from a normal Sharingan, to one that was more swirled in appearance.

My surroundings immediately changed, and it was like I was standing in a different world. The sky was a bloody red, and it was like I was in negative. I did a 360° turn, coming back to find Itachi standing infront of me. "Your Tsukiyomi is impressive." I said. He looked at me as if he was curious, then I was suddenly wrapped in chains.

One was wrapped around my neck, and several were snaked up my legs. Heavy chains wrapped around my wrists, and another was around my waist. At once they all started dragging me down, causing me to fall to my knees, choking me and cutting into my skin. It was very painful, and I couldn't breathe.

He looked at me with nothing in his eyes or on his face. I supposed this was what I looked like. Except I was sure he could feel everything I couldn't. Did that bother me? That I was unable to feel emotions, and he could? I shook those thoughts out of my mind, and just tried to focus on not passing out. If I passed out, this would all be over. I didn't want that. I wanted to keep going.

I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw in pain. I wouldn't allow a cry of pain escape my lips. I wouldn't allow myself to fall under. I kept my eyes closed, focusing. I needed to release the Mangekyo Sharingan. I needed to get free from it. I was growing dizzy now, but I couldn't just give in. I felt the pulse of the genjutsu in my system, running along my chakra network.

I followed the vein of my chakra network, searching for a greater quantity of his genjutsu. It was so… advanced. It was more than I could cast for sure, but as I nudged the genjutsu with my chakra, I could see it could be broken. This was going to take a lot out of me, but it had to be done. I clenched my jaw, and shattered his hold on my chakra flow.

I opened my eyes to find myself back in the real world, with my body feeling too heavy to hold up. I fell to my knees, unable to focus my vision. Everything kept going from fuzzy to clear, and the voices of others sounded so distant. I was barely able to register what people were saying.

Itachi was staring at me, looking… what appeared to be surprised. "She broke the Mangekyo…" he said. I was breathing hard. It was like I couldn't breathe at all. I couldn't look at anyone anymore. I was just staring at nothing. "Ha! She beat your damn genjutsu!" Deidara spitefully laughed. He must've really hated Itachi…

"So? You couldn't." Kisame pointed out. "Shut up. Neither could you." Deidara snapped. "But you don't even have the Sharingan…" Itachi said. The comment sounded like it was meant for me, but he was probably saying it to himself more than anything. Why was I able to break the Sharingan? Maybe…

I sucked in a shaky breath. "Perhaps… the Sharingan is tamable…?" I mused aloud, falling forward, collapsing. My eyes were still open, but my breathing was shallow. Kisame had woken up sometime, and was standing near Aido, looking at me. "Everyone reaches their limits." he said. "We're not related… are we?" Itachi asked, looking at me with pure confusion on his face.

"I wouldn't… know…" I whispered. That made me angry that I didn't know who my family was. Before I had time to fume to myself about that, I felt a strong and warm pair of arms lift me up. I was looking at Deidara, who just gave me a smirk. He jumped onto his bird, giving a satisfied grin. "And away we go." he said.

I looked for Aido, seeing her staring up at me with a pained expression on her face. "Are you coming? Or are you going to abandon your friend?" Kisame taunted. I wanted Aido to run. I needed her to just go. I didn't want her to get caught too. But in my mind, I knew that Aido was going to do what it took to protect her friends. That meant there was a very good chance we weren't caught just yet.

Aido hesitated, but then started to walk forward, looking at me the entire time. Deidara shifted, and I sucked in a breath as a shockwave of pain rippled through me. "Damn…" I gasped. Kisame gave Aido a look of approval as she came closer, and grabbed her, jumping up onto the bird with me and Deidara. He just left Hidan on the ground. Hidan was still heavily under genjutsu.

"Hey there, Jaws. That's enough of that." Aido said, shocking Kisame when he put a hand on her shoulder. She gave me a long look, and closed her eyes. Not even a few seconds later, a huge bolt of lightning came storming out of the sky, striking the bird and causing it to explode. Deidara, Aido, and I hit the ground, and Kisame got sent sailing back a bit, landing farther away.

Deidara had a grip on my arm, and Aido kneeled next to me, touching my hand and giving me a large dose of medical ninjutsu. "Can you run?" she asked, looking at me with determination. I nodded, quickly turning to Deidara and elbowing him in the nose, breaking free from his grasp as I did so.

"Hey!" he yelped in pain, grabbing his bloody nose. "You are so gullible." I said, shakily standing up. Itachi snapped out of his thoughts, noticing that I'd gotten free. "Mist cover?" Aido whispered, standing near me. That last spurt of medical ninjutsu had taken her quite a bit of energy, and we were both worn down from the fight. We wouldn't be able to last much longer. We launched our mist cover and took off running, not bothering to look back.

**Deidara**

My nose wasn't broken, thankfully, but that didn't mean it didn't sting. "Samehada can trace their chakra. We can let them go for now." Kisame whispered. I glared at the mist, seeing Itachi out of the corner of my eye, looking out of it. "Are you okay?" Kisame asked, putting a hand on Itachi's shoulder. Itachi shrugged his hand off. "I'm fine." He said, looking at the mist. "Oh, I'm simply peachy! Thank you so much for asking." I snapped.

Kisame rolled his eyes, and I gave a tired sigh. "Are we going to give them some slack?" I asked, cracking my knuckles. "No… we should probably go get them. If we give them time to recover, we may not win." Kisame said, gripping the hilt on Samehada. I made another clay bird, and Itachi, Kisame, and I hopped onto it, leaving Hidan to take his little nap. Now I didn't need to worry about his stupid mouth running.

"Head east." Kisame said, sitting on the bird with a hand still on Samehada. I had my bird turn east, sitting down and deciding to get a little rest. After a long pause, Kisame started the first conversation. "So… the Hakumei broke the Mangekyo… I didn't think that was possible." Kisame casually said. "It isn't." Itachi said in a sharp tone.

"So… she's living up to the Hakumei name." Kisame continued, obviously trying to get a reaction from Itachi. After a long silence, Kisame kept going on. "Weren't the Hakumei and Uchiha close?" he asked. I clenched my hand into a fist.

"That was a very long time ago…" Itachi said after an eternity of silence. "Would you two contemplate later?" I snapped. "Shut it blondie!" Kisame yelled. I controlled the upcoming smartass remark, and managed to keep my cool. That is… until Kisame said, "So if you wanted to restore your clan… she'd be your best bet." "Hm…" Itachi replied.

Acting on impulse, I made a little clay bird and shot it at Kisame, causing him to flip out and almost lose his balance with it exploding right behind him. "What the fuck was that for you little brat?" he screamed, looking all frazzled. "Whoops. Must've been a stray one." I shrugged. "Hey! Don't get pissy with me because their DNA is compatible!" Kisame yelled. I rolled my eyes and asked, "Which way now?"

Kisame started muttering curses under his breath, and I heard the one that really pissed me off, "She seemed interested in Itachi anyway…"

I whipped my head around, losing my temper at his comment. "Shut the fuck up! _One_ more comment other than directions and I will blow you up. Now. Which way do we go?" I growled. Kisame looked surprised, and pointed. "2 o'clock it is." I huffed, heading in the direction he pointed out. Kisame opened his mouth to say something, but collapsed onto the bird, knocked out.

I looked up at Itachi, who was standing now, with his eyes closed. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, his Sharingan was spinning, and this sudden tension in the air released. "She was using genjutsu. It's not very strong, so she must be weak. The Hakumei shouldn't be too much of an issue. It's the Enzeru we've got to worry about for now." Itachi said. I arched an eyebrow. This was going to be their final stand against us. We needed to win.

**Mizuki**

I looked up from our hiding spot in a wedge of large boulders. We were still near the mountains, and had decided to use them to hide us as best as we could. "The genjutsu has taken effect… but it won't last long." I huffed, sinking to the ground, out of breath. "Hey, take it easy." Aido said, giving me a frown.

I leaned my head back against the rock, closing my eyes. Not even five minutes later, I could feel my genjutsu shatter. I couldn't maintain it against Itachi's Sharingan. I knew that. It just wasn't possible for me in this condition. I nodded, and watched Aido, trying to keep my pulse under control.

She tilted her head, and closed her eyes, concentrating. She held up a hand sign and muttered so low that only I could barely hear her say, "Lightning style; Raiton Dragon." Electricity radiated around her, and a huge dragon made entirely of lightning formed, and struck out at Deidara's bird, causing it to explode. Itachi landed on the ground, catching Deidara before he could hit the ground.

"Hey! Put me down, you bastard!" Deidara yelled. Itachi let Deidara go, and Deidara glared at him. There was hostility that Deidara felt towards him that was incredibly apparent. Why did he resent him so much? Oh well… Not like it really mattered.

"Let me take care of them." Aido said, looking at me with concern on her face. I nodded, and she started to use her lightning chakra to create a negative charge in the air. I figured I'd contribute somewhat, and used a water dragon to create a more dangerous atmosphere.

Itachi and Deidara weren't too far away from us, and they definitely were in earshot. "Don't kill the Uchiha _yet._ I've got some questions for him." I huffed, carefully watching the duo Akatsuki members.

"Do you now?" Itachi asked, glancing at Deidara. Deidara was fuming, and wasn't paying attention when Aido used the radiating electricity surrounding us to form into an archer's bow and arrow. Aido aimed for half a second, and then shot the arrow straight for Deidara.

Deidara's eyes widened and he managed to dodge the initial impact, which would have instantly killed him, but he didn't avoid some of the aftershock bolts of lightning. He fell to the ground with a pool of blood beginning to form around him. It didn't take a genius to know that Deidara was seriously injured, and it also didn't take a genius to know I had exhausted myself.

I slumped sideways, lying on the ground, breathing in a shallow manner. I was no longer of use. My water dragon disappeared, and I was left with nothing else in me to do. Itachi caught Deidara, and immediately started using medical ninjutsu. "Are you alright?" he asked Deidara. Deidara slapped his hands away, struggling, but managing to stand. "I'm fine! Don't touch me!" he snapped.

"Ai… you should get out of here." I said, fighting to control my breathing. She turned to me, looking concerned and determined. "There's no way I'm going to abandon you." she sternly said. I opened my mouth to protest, but then I felt a new and much more powerful chakra signature appear out of nowhere. "Ai, behind you." I said. I was too late.

A man with vibrant orange hair and several facial piercings tapped the back of Aido's head, causing her to fall forward unconscious. I looked up into the man's eyes, surprised at what I saw. His eyes were purple, and rippled. "I can't believe I had to step in." he growled, picking Aido up bridal style.

"Shit…" Deidara cursed, looking down and not making eye contact with the man. The man turned to me, boring into me with his cold eyes. "The last Hakumei and Enzeru… you do not disappoint." he said, looking me over. "… Rinnengan? I don't understand…" I said, staring at his eyes. "One void of emotions will not understand many things." he coolly replied.

I froze at his comment, trying to take in what he just said. He was right… I was unable to connect to others because I couldn't feel what they could… I didn't want that. I didn't want to be a blank slate… But I didn't have a choice…

"I trust you two can handle her in this condition. I'll be taking the Enzeru." the man said. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, and I was left alone with Itachi Uchiha and Deidara, while the closest thing I had to a friendship was whisked away. My gaze turned to the two boys, and I didn't know what to do now. Obviously I wasn't going to leave Aido… but I didn't know how to act at this point.

"Well… I suppose we should get you back to base and some medical attention…" Itachi said, looking me over. I didn't say anything, I just watched both boys very carefully. "I'll take care of her. You go get fish face." Deidara huffed, looking as if he was in the same condition I was in; exhausted, and injured.

"I think I'd be better suited to taking care of her. I'm stronger." Itachi said, glancing at Deidara. "I can take _way_ more weight than you!" Deidara snapped. "Look, I'm stronger, let me. You can't take _any_ weight in your condition." Itachi pressed. "… I'm not that heavy…" I said, arching an eyebrow at the two's odd behavior.

They froze, looking at me looking what I identified to be as "embarrassed." "I wasn't saying you were…" Itachi said, looking away with blush on his cheeks. "I didn't mean it like that!" Deidara yelped, blushing as well. I tilted my head, carefully examining the two. They were trying to out show each other based on who could carry me? These guys were… interesting.

I shook my head, shakily trying to get off the ground. I managed to get on my feet when I started collapsing back to the ground, only to have that familiar strong pair of arms wrap around me. "_I've_ got you." Deidara said, helping me into a standing position. I needed to have my arms wrapped around his chest to stay upright, and he seemed rather smug as he kept a firm grip on me.

I didn't say anything; I just kept my focus on staying conscious. "I insist. Let me take her." Itachi said in a low tone. "No. You go get _your_ partner. I'll take her back to the hideout." Deidara smirked. Itachi stared at him for a moment, and I could've sworn I saw his Sharingan spin, but he just turned on his heels, going to get Kisame. I gripped onto his sleeve, burying my face into his chest, taking a sharp breath because of the pain that just shot through my body.

"Hey there… everything's going to be good from now on. I'll be sure of that." Deidara soothingly said, brushing down my hair. I didn't say anything. I just pressed my body against his to stay standing. He picked me up off the ground entirely, carrying me bridal style just like that man with the piercings had done to Aido. I was surprised by the fact that he could do that even though he was injured. In a flash he teleported me away, with me losing consciousness before we reached our destination.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: I Don't Care**

**Deidara**

I was determined to keep her away from Itachi. Why? I didn't really know. All I knew was that I wasn't going to just let her be around him. I didn't think I held any form of serious attachment to the girl… but I never liked it when the Uchiha won at something. It annoyed the hell outta me, simply because I hated the fact that he was regarded so highly. I swear, one of these days I was going to shove a fistful of clay down his throat…

But on a lighter tone, I had the Hakumei away from him. That mattered to me. I'd take any minor victory I could get until I blew him to smithereens. I staggered into the hideout with her in my arms not dropping her, thankfully. She really was light, which was surprising considering how much of a punch she had…

"There you are! What took you so… long?" Konan started, speeding out of the corridor leading to the bedrooms. She stopped when she actually caught a glimpse of me in the dim light, and I'm sure I looked horrible. The Enzeru's lightning arrow was nothing to joke about. Both of these girls were totally on a different level than most other shinobi. I figured it came with age and experience…

"Deidara! Are you alright?" Konan asked in that worried tone of hers. Konan was a fierce fighter, but she was always motherly. I really liked that about her… most of the time anyway. "I'm just peachy…" I huffed, shaking a bit. If I wasn't injured carrying her would be easier than saying "Katsu," but I was injured, so taking any weight, even Hakumei's, was tiring.

Konan picked up on this and placed her arms under mine, supporting the currently knocked out girl in my arms. "Pein is currently tending to the Enzeru's wounds. Come with me." Konan said, walking me back down the bedroom corridor, to the room on the far left hand side in the very back. I was surprised. Although Pein and Konan weren't at a hideout often, he never let anyone in his room. Leader was letting two girls into his room… it was a little weird to think about.

Konan and I walked into his room, which, to little surprise, consisted of little personal furniture, and tons of paperwork. Pein was currently sitting on the edge of his bed, wrapping a bandage around Aido's stomach. It was weird to see him here… even weirder to see him tending to someone else's wounds…

He looked up while Konan and I stood in the doorway. "Put her next to the Enzeru, and then sit down." Pein ordered, turning his attention back to Aido. I nodded, and Konan and I gently laid Mizuki next to her friend. Mizuki looked serene when she was asleep. She looked like she didn't have any troubles, but I knew in my mind that she was very troubled.

"I'll go check in with Itachi and Kisame." Konan said, leaving me alone with leader and our two unconscious targets. I sat in the chair on the other side of the bed, sitting next to Mizuki. I didn't have much to say… well… actually I did… "Why is she… like that?" I asked Pein, keeping my gaze on Mizuki. He didn't even look at her, but seemed to know what I was talking about.

"She doesn't have emotions. As far as I can tell, she has curiosity, and drive, and hints of anger… but nothing else." He explained. He gently lifted Aido's wrist, wrapping a bandage around it. "She fights well… they both do." I noted, grabbing a few bandages for myself. "You'd hope so, considering they're among the most talented ANBU. However… they could be stronger. But they've got time to mature, considering how young they are." Pein said, still wrapping Aido's bandages.

I froze. "How… young?" I asked, staring wide-eyed at Mizuki. "The Enzeru is seventeen. The Hakumei is sixteen. They're very young considering they're skill level." Pein replied, not looking the least bit concerned. I kept staring at Mizuki. There was no fucking way… "I'm sorry… sixteen?" I choked, dropping the bandages I'd been using. "Yes. She's sixteen years old. Is this surprising?" he asked. I nodded, picking the bandages up.

"It's rather peculiar that they've found each other… Total opposites in nature. The Enzeru is one of the world's best medics, and has saved countless lives, whereas the Hakumei is one of the world's best assassins, and has ended just as many… The Enzeru can feel, laugh, and smile… the Hakumei can't. The Enzeru is more emotionally minded, but logically as well. The Hakumei's reasoning is based on pure logic. The Enzeru judges a person on more than their uses. The Hakumei can only deem you necessary if you provide use." Pein explained.

"Why is she like that?" I asked, looking at Mizuki with pity. "She is a true shinobi; a tool to be used in combat. She will never consider herself to be more. It shows how corrupt society has made the shinobi, including ones this young." Pein coldly answered. I frowned, getting up.

"I'm gonna go have Sasori no danna look at some of my wounds…" I quietly said, walking towards the door. He didn't say anything, but kept bandaging Aido. I walked out of his room, quietly closing the door behind me, and leaning against it. Is that a true shinobi? … Did I even want to be one if that's all it meant?

**Aido**

I had been listening to everything that pierced guy and the blondie had been saying. I'd been awake for about fifteen minutes, despite getting knocked out by Mr. Piercings. I could feel his fingers dance across my skin as he bandaged me up, and I was doing my best to fake being unconscious. When blondie, Deidara, left, I was once again on edge. I knew nothing of this man, and I was basically alone on this one, because Mizuki was knocked out next to me.

He finished his bandaging, and I heard him rustle around a bit, then I felt someone lean down close to me, with snakebite piercings brushing against my ear. "I'd help your friend, but why should I if you're awake, and a much better medic?" Mr. Piercings whispered. I knew I had blush on my cheeks, but I kept my eyes closed, maintaining my character. "Heh… Sleep well, Aido-san." he chuckled. He got up and left the room, and my eyes shot open.

I immediately sat up, sitting on my knees next to Mizuki and starting medical ninjutsu on her chest. That guy… I blushed, but focused on Mizuki. She overdid it… again. She'd work herself to exhaustion, and I wouldn't know about it until she'd pass out. I had to hand it to her; she was a master at hiding her issues.

After about twenty minutes of medical ninjutsu, her eyes fluttered open, and she was staring at the ceiling. After she was quiet for a moment, she looked at me, her eyes still cold… "Are you alright?" she asked. I thought about what Pein had said… about her only deeming a person necessary in her life if they were useful. Was that true?

"I'm fine… but it looks like they got us." I said, giving her a half smile. She sighed, looking me over. "What?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "You've got five minutes until my genjutsu takes effect and knocks you out. I suggest you finish anything important." she replied, closing her eyes. "I'm fine!" I whined. "It's pointless to argue. You need to rest as well, Ai." she murmured before passing out again.

I gave a sigh, knowing it was for the best, but still being annoyed regardless. "I swear to god… one of these days I'm going to…" Before I could finish my thought, I could catch the faint scent of fresh snow and cherry-blossoms, and my eyes began to feel heavy. "Dammit Mizu…" I slurred. I fell back onto the bed, lying next to her and managing to push a little more healing chakra into her before unconsciousness claimed me again.

**Mizuki**

_No light surrounded me. I sat, hugging my knees in the darkness, with my hair falling around me. No light… no sight… but there was sound. I could hear a piano softly playing far away, and I rose to my feet, blindly walking towards the sound. It was calling out to me with distant familiarity…_

_The music never got closer. It seemed to be running away from me. I tried running to it, but it faded away. I came to a stop, not knowing if my eyes were opened or closed. Was this a sign? What was it telling me? Why couldn't I find it? That song… it was so familiar… it was something I wanted, but I couldn't obtain…_

I opened my eyes slowly, staring up into a dark room, looking at the ceiling. My body was sore… and I had a dull headache. What time was it? No… what _day_ was it? How long had I been asleep? I slowly sat up in bed, looking next to me to find Aido still soundly asleep. My genjutsu wasn't that strong. Aido just went weeks at a time without sleeping and slept like a rock when I induced a little sleep.

My genjutsu had only been cast to last eight hours… and she was still asleep… that meant it had to have been more… I looked down, seeing that I was in different clothes. My entire torso was bandaged, and I wore a loose tank-top and some baggy shorts obviously designed for a male. My arms were bandaged, and I had a bandage wrapped around my head where my hitai-ate would rest.

I silently got out of bed, taking a moment to steady myself on a chair before I walked out of the room, barefoot. I guessed I was in the Akatsuki hideout, due to the fact that I'd been brought in by the Akatsuki, but it didn't take long for me to realize how dark it was in here. There were no normal lights. There were only torches lighting the very dim hallway I was walking down.

There were doors lining the walls as I walked, seeming to be ten in total with each of them evenly spaced apart. I had to assume this was the hallway with the bedrooms. I kept walking for not even thirty more seconds and I emerged into a living-room by what it seemed. There was a television and some couches, as well as a coffee table. What struck me as odd was that there was no one in the living room. In fact, the entire hideout was silent.

I went through an open double doorway on the other side of the living room, finding the kitchen vacant of people like the hideout that I've seen so far. The countertops were slate, and the flooring matched the cabinets as a dark, cherry-oak color. There was an island with stools surrounding it, and a table with chairs by it. It was a nice, yet simple place to cook.

My stomach gave a low rumble, and I started to rummage around for food. The pantry was empty, and I opened the refrigerator to find very little in it. There was some old sushi that smelled like it had gone well past its expiration date, some soda clearly marked "Do not touch on punishment of death", and a loaf of bread and some butter.

I figured that would have to suffice and the bread and butter out, rummaging through the cabinets to find some honey. This wasn't much, but it was among my preferred meals; toast with butter and honey. It was filling, and it worked for me, because I didn't need much food to keep myself going.

I sat down at the island and took a bite out of my food in time for a man wearing, and it baffled me as to why, an orange swirled mask, and light blue pajamas with bears on them. He was dragging his feet sluggishly, and he froze when he saw me… or at least I think he was looking at me… I couldn't tell because of his mask.

After a long moment of staring, he grabbed a bowl and managed to find cereal and milk somewhere in the kitchen, pouring himself a bowl and sitting across from me. He tilted his head, with his short black hair somewhat tilting with him.

"Hi!" he finally exclaimed, causing me to jolt in surprise. I didn't say anything to him, I just nodded, acknowledging him, and continuing to eat my toast. He barely moved his mask so he could eat and remain hidden at the same time; a feat I thought was rather impressive.

We said nothing to each other for about ten minutes, and as I finished my last bite of toast, I heard his rather child-like pipe up. "My name is Tobi! What's yours?" he asked, resting his chin in his hands. "… Mizuki Hakumei." I said, keeping an eye on him. "Beautiful moonlight… Dusk. That's a very pretty name!" Tobi chirped. "Thank you… I suppose." I said, blinking and looking away. I didn't know how to take compliments, which had never been new…

"So… Tobi heard that you broke the Mangekyo." I froze when I heard that. This Tobi guy's voice just dropped to a very serious tone, which was the exact opposite of how he'd been talking a minute ago. I looked at Tobi, pausing for a very long time. It was like his demeanor had suddenly changed.

"… Yes. I did…" I finally answered, not daring to look away. His personality swing had me on guard. Tobi didn't say anything, and Itachi soon walked into the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand. He froze when he saw us, with his eyes immediately locking onto Tobi with hostility.

"Tobi thinks that's so cool!" Tobi cheered. I stared at Tobi intensely. He switched personalities again. "Why don't you go get dressed, Tobi?" Itachi suggested in a tone that was more of a command. Tobi hopped up and started skipping out of the kitchen, pausing for a moment to look at Itachi, and then skipping out the door.

Itachi walked over and picked up the bowl of cereal Tobi had left on the counter, and placed it in the sink with his coffee cup. Once he did that, he walked over to the island, leaning against it near me. "Tobi is…" he started. "Not everything he passes himself off to be… I realize this." I finished for him. He looked at me with a hint of surprise, then shook his head, "Yeah… exactly so…"

I rested my head on my arms, still feeling a little drowsy from my unconsciousness. Which reminded me… "How long have Aido and I been knocked out?" I asked, looking up at him. "Three days." He said, looking at the cabinets that stood across from him. I nodded, figuring that my wounds had probably been worse than I initially thought…

"I guess I'll leave you to… whatever it is you're doing, Hakumei-san." he said, looking at me. I arched an eyebrow, and remember what I'd wanted to talk to him about. "We need to talk. Alone." I said, sitting up. He arched his own eyebrow in return. "I've got nothing to discuss with you at this point." he said, walking towards the door. "I know the truth, Itachi-san."

He stopped, turning to look back at me with his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked, carefully analyzing me. "I know what really happened with your family and the massacre." I said, standing up and walking so I was facing him. He looked around; making sure no one was within ear shot.

"The walls have ears… we should talk later." He said in a low, almost inaudible voice. I shook my head, latching onto his arm and closing my eyes. Cherry-blossom petals gently whirled around us, casting a genjutsu I'd learned a while ago. Everyone else wouldn't be able to see or hear us at all. It was like we weren't even here. "Now is preferred." I said, still holding onto his arm.

Itachi's Sharingan spun, telling me that he was testing the genjutsu to see if it could be easily broken. Once satisfied, he gave me his full attention. "We can talk, but only for a few minutes. You're still not at a hundred percent yet." he said, noting the fact I my breathing a bit harder, already feeling tired from casting one of the simplest genjutsu I knew.

"I know the truth, Itachi. I know what happened behind your clan's massacre. You aren't the villain everyone says you are." I said, not breaking eye contact with him. He studied me for a moment, looking away. "How do you know this?" he asked, his voiced having the slightest strain to it. I closed my eyes, feeling as if I was intruding on him, but knowing I had to tell him anyway. "I found the file by accident. Curiosity got the best of me, and I read it." I said, looking at him again.

He sighed, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Well… it couldn't stay a secret forever…" he said, more to himself than to me. "I won't tell anyone. I just… wanted to meet you." I said, letting his arm go and releasing the genjutsu. He looked at me for a long time, putting his hand on the top of my hair, ruffling it a bit. "You're an interesting girl, Hakumei-san." he said. He took his hand away, and walked out of the kitchen.

I took a moment to think about how he'd reacted, and wondering if that was a "normal" thing. Itachi could probably relate to me the most, considering we both served Danzo at one point or another. I walked into the living room, seeing many different hallways connecting to it. I figured I might as well be proactive and look for exits in the event they were needed. These were the Akatsuki. They were organized; therefore I needed to be too.

I started back down the hallway with what I assumed to be the bedrooms were, noticing a couple doors were open. I glanced somewhat inside the open doors that were there, and searched for an exit until a very rushed Deidara came bursting out of a room with a bucket, shooting down the hallway and bumping me into a wall in the process. I knew it was an accident, but I arched an eyebrow anyway, following him back into the kitchen to see him at the sink, dumping brown water out of the bucket.

The earthy scent that filled the air signaled to me that he was in the process of making clay. I stood about ten feet away from him, silently, as he refilled the bucket. He turned the faucet off and turned around, jumping when he saw me, wrapping his arms around the bucket protectively. "You startled me." he frowned, relaxing a bit. "You should be more aware of your surroundings. If I was attacking you, you'd be dead." I replied in a cold tone.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes and walking past me, motioning me to follow him. I did, my tread silently following his. He walked into one of the bedrooms, and I stood just inside the doorway, looking around. To be honest, it was what I'd call an "artist's playground."

Blank canvasses were neatly stacked together in a corner of the room, and several easels had paintings that were still in progress. Art supplies filled a large bookshelf, and clay figurines were scattered all around the room. There was a desk with sketchbooks resting ontop of it, and a bed that had an Akatsuki cloak folded messily on. It was surprising to see the room actually neat.

"So… what were you doing?" Deidara asked, setting his bucket of clay down. I watched him carefully; wary of any offensive moves he might take. "I was looking for an exit." I said, looking around his room once more, sweeping it for any means of escape. There were none. I was out of luck.

Deidara turned around to face me, giving me a devilish smirk. "Exits? Leader said we're not supposed to be letting you out for at least a week." he said, taking a step towards me. He reminded me of a predator going in for the kill. It didn't strike me as if he was going to attack though, so I didn't move.

"Then I'll make one." I said, not batting an eye when he stepped right infront of me. "Is that so?" he softly murmured, touching my cheek with his hand. I didn't move, even when he gently caressed the pulse point on my neck. "Yes. If there is not an exit available, then I'll make one." I replied, my tone even. He moved his face closer, "Then I'll stop you." I arched an eyebrow, and spun on my heels, walking out of the door and into the hallway.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Deidara yelped, following me. I looked at him and said in a bored tone, "I'm going to go make a means of escape." He paused for a moment, then quickly grabbed my wrist and yanked me back into his room. He closed the door and pinned me to it, using that position to lock the door.

His chest was pressed against mine, and he had his hands on my wrists and a knee in between my legs to hold me there. The tongues from his hands licked my wrists, and while my body tensed slightly, I wasn't too terribly concerned, but I was curious. "What are you doing?" I asked. He didn't say anything at first, but he pressed his lips against mine.

His lips were parted slightly, while mine remained closed. His lips were soft, and the body heat he was releasing was actually very pleasant. But on the more pertinent side; why was he kissing me? "Making an exit." he finally said, after breaking away for air. His face remained not even an inch away from mine, and a smirk rested on his face. "How is this 'making an exit'?" I asked, as he grazed his lips against my cheek. "I'm here if you ever need an escape." he murmured, kissing my cheek and moving down to my neck.

The physical sensation felt enjoyable, but I was confused. He planted kisses from the base of my neck up to my jaw, nipping my skin lightly. He slid his hands from my wrists to my shoulders, and then down my sides, giving me goosebumps. I didn't understand why my body was acting like this, but my face remained blank. "I don't understand how this is an "escape." You're just acting on your impulses." I frostily said.

He paused for a moment, pressing his body against mine. "Forget it… I'll keep you entertained this way." he whispered in my ear. I didn't move, mostly because I wanted to study his actions. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, glancing at him. He slid one of the hands on my waist up the back of my shirt, getting closer and closer to the one thing that told me I had a past; the very large, circular tattoo that took up most of my back.

I began to get tense as he neared the tattoo, knowing that he wasn't doing this on purpose. "I've got a slight attraction to you… you're rather intriguing." he smirked, nipping my bottom lip. I didn't respond, but I kept my gaze locked with his. "You don't even know me." I said, arching an eyebrow. He smirked, playfully rolling his eyes. "Fine. My name is Deidara. I like art." he said, kissing me again. His hand slid up my back, touching the tattoo.

My eyes widen and I sucked in a breath. A wave of pure pleasure rushed over me, causing my body to tremble, craving the feeling. I didn't understand this at all. I felt flush rise to my cheeks, and I involuntarily arched my back forward, pressing into him. "… My name is Mizuki… I like… missions." I said, bewildered at my bizarre physical reaction. He smirked, which I was beginning to see was a normal thing for him, and pressed his pelvis against mine, where I could feel a hardening bump forming. He apparently had a problem controlling his impulses…

He kissed my lips again, running his tongue across my bottom lip, placing both hands on my tattoo. I froze, gasping a bit, which allowed him to slip his tongue into my mouth. He wasn't incredibly forceful, but seemed to be exploring with his tongue, as odd as that description is.

His tongue brushed against mine, and I didn't respond to him at all; I wasn't kissing back, but I wasn't pushing him away. I didn't know how to react, and it wasn't helping the situation by waves of pleasure rocketing through my body because his hands were on my tattoo.

One of his hands slid around to the front of my shirt, and he started inching it farther upward. He broke the kiss for a second for air, and right as he planted another one on me there was a loud bank on the door.

"Hey, brat!" a man's smooth voice called out. He sounded irritated, and a bit impatient. "Sasori no danna, I'm busy." Deidara said, sounding a little irritated himself. There was a growl, and then a click, with the door opening, with such force that Deidara and I tumbled to the ground.

A young-looking red-headed man stood over us, glaring daggers at Deidara. He noticed me, and went back to glaring at Deidara. "Is this going to become a habit? Are you going to have a new toy every week?" the man asked, looking at Deidara with scorn. "Not to be rude, Sasori no danna, but stay out of it! It's my personal life!" Deidara snapped. Deidara held a hand out to me, and I took it, still a little shaken from him touching my tattoo.

The man, Sasori, rolled his eyes, and walked over to me, gently taking my arm. I looked down and noticed that I'd gotten a scrape when I fell. He started medical ninjutsu and my wound faded away. "I'll go ahead and tell you that leader would like her in the sealing room, _intact_. I'm going to go get the other one." Sasori sternly said, finishing healing my arm. He gave Deidara a warning glare, and then walked away, back down the hallway.

Deidara rolled his eyes, and put his hands on my hips, kissing my neck again. I had decided enough was enough. I put my hands on his chest, pushing him away lightly, but with enough force so that he should've gotten the hint. _Should've_, that is.

"Stop it. You're putting your impulses before your mind." I said, making eye contact. He gave a smirk, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me again. "And I'm loving every second of it." he said, going back to kissing my neck. This guy wasn't getting the picture… I calmly shoved him harder, forcing him away from me. "I'm warning you right now; it is foolish of you to do this." I icily said. He stepped closer, so his lips brushed against mine. "Warning considered." he softly said.

I sighed, and grabbed him by the throat, pinning him to the wall but not choking him. "Listen, and listen well. I am not a lover. I am not anything you will ever hope for me to be. I am the worst person to pursue these actions with." I said with an absolute authority-like tone. "Fine… sheesh…" he said, frowning.

I let him go, and reached my hand out, tugging on his bangs. "That means I'm not to be made a part of your "toy box." Are we clear?" I said with more edge to my voice than usual. He made eye-contact with me and slowly nodded. I turned around and started walking down the hallway, off to find the "sealing room." Before I left, though, I turned to face Deidara, who still hadn't moved and was watching me go.

"Why should a person love if they won't be loved back? I don't understand that concept. But, in regards to your "sex life," if it's on your own time, then it doesn't matter to me. But your sex life as a whole is something I don't care the slightest bit about." I said. He gave a hurt look, but in his eyes I could see determination. I turned away and walked out of the hallway, off to find the sealing room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Road Less Traveled**

**Aido**

My mind felt foggy, and my body was heavy. I don't know what Mizuki did for her genjutsu, but it had some unpleasant side effects. I was currently fighting to wake up, and when I did, I was going to yell at her for this. She forced me to sleep, and I _hated_ that. Sure, she was my best and only friend, but she was too overbearing with the sleep issue! I managed to open my eyes, staring at the ceiling totally dazed.

"Damn… Mizuki… you need to tone down the genjutsu…" I groggily said, sitting up. I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up, and yawned. "Good morning, sleeping beauty. Have we decided to get up?" a smooth voice asked. My head snapped up to see a red-headed man sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed.

To say he was attractive was an understatement. A serious, almost insulting, understatement. The man had grey-brown eyes that were burning into me, and his red hair was vibrant and a little shaggy, but not long. His skin was that perfect peach tone, and to be honest, he was beautiful. Yeah. This GUY was BEAUTIFUL. I couldn't say anything for a moment, and he arched an eyebrow, smirking.

"You know… it's not polite to stare." he said, looking amused. I looked at him surprised, and then blushed looking away. "Well it's creepy for some guy to stare at a girl when she sleeps." I replied, getting up and not making eye contact. He paused for a moment, and smirked, "Good point."

He watched my movements, probably trying to make sure I didn't try to escape or whatnot. I looked around Mr. Piercing's room, finding only a desk, a couple chairs, a bed, and tons of files. That guy needed to learn the meaning of "vacation." I didn't even know him and I could already tell he was a workaholic. "Come with me." the red-headed man coolly said.

I didn't really know if I should've called him a man… considering he looked like he was my age or a year younger. But his voice sounded a little older. I slowly got up, following him out the door of Mr. Piercing's room, and down a dark hallway.

He led me to a room that had a bunch more Akatsuki members in it, and Mizuki was there as well, standing in the center of the room, looking as if she was waiting for someone. I suppose that someone was me. She saw me, and immediately walked over, looking me over.

"Are you alright?" she asked, with her face holding no emotion whatsoever. If someone didn't know she couldn't feel concerned, they'd think she was being mean…"I'm fine…" I said, giving her a half-smile.

She motioned me to stand near her, most likely as a defensive move if they chose to attack, and we faced Mr. Piercings, while the Akatsuki stood on the hands of a huge statue, each one on a different finger, with one being empty. A weird man in an orange mask stood by the door, and he wasn't wearing an Akatsuki cloak either…

"It's nice to see our guests up. How are you two feeling?" Mr. Piercings asked. "I'm fine." I sharply said, still not too happy about being forced here. "Skip the pleasantries for someone who cares, and who has the time for such. Get to your point." Mizuki said. Everyone looked at her like she was insane. Mr. Piercings must've been the leader…

"Fine. I'm sure you're aware that your reputations are well known. The Black Cat and the White Saint are almost legendary. You're splendid shinobi, and you're rare, considering you two are the last remaining members of the Hakumei and Enzeru clans. My offer is simple. We want you to join the Akatsuki." Mr. Piercings said. I grew silent, as did Mizuki. They wanted us to join them?

"And if we were to decline your offer?" Mizuki asked. I saw the blonde guy, Deidara, shift uncomfortably. "Then you die. You're either going to be an asset or a liability." Mr. Piercings said, looking down on us with those weird rippled purple eyes.

"What's in it for us if we join?" I asked. "Other than your lives? Answers. We can help you find what you seek much quicker and much more flexibly than a village ever could." Mr. Piercings replied. I froze when he said that. They… could help us find our clans? And rid us of the seals we both had on our backs?

"Aido… I am able to function in any setting. This decision comes down to you." Mizuki said, looking at me. "Wait… you're willing?" I asked, looking confused.

"Aido… I am not like you. I have no preference to where I work as long as I work. I am a shinobi. I am not one to voice an opinion unless strategically needed. You, on the other hand, have the natural gut intuition of a prosperous work environment, medically speaking. It comes down to you." she said, looking at me with nothing in her eyes.

I bit my bottom lip, fidgeting with the bottom of the tank-top I was wearing. I had to make a huge decision that could end up getting us _both_ killed. "So… what is your answer?" Mr. Piercings asked. I gave a sigh, and closed my eyes.

"Fine… yeah. I'm okay with it." I said, praying that I was right in making this choice. "Excellent. We can get you your rooms and uniforms." Mr. Piercings said. "I will say one thing, now that we've agreed." Mizuki said. I snapped my head to face her, wondering what she was doing. "And that is…?" Mr. Piercings asked, carefully watching her.

"The Akatsuki's goals come second to me. I have my primary task, and if the Akatsuki attempts to infringe on that, I will not execute the task assigned to me by the Akatsuki. Are we clear?" Mizuki said, looking as if she was glaring at Mr. Piercings.

"I'll have to accept that… now won't I?" Mr. Piercings coldly replied, narrowing his eyes. Mizuki nodded, satisfied with his answer. "We might as well introduce you to everyone…" Mr. Piercings said, glancing at the only other female in the room, who had blue hair and what appeared to be an origami rose in her hair.

"My name is Konan." she said, nodding at us.

"My name is Kakuzu." a man with bloodshot green eyes and a mask said.

"Hidan, sweetheart." the obnoxious man with white hair said, winking at me.

"I'm Sasori." the red-headed man who was with me when I woke up said, glancing at the two of us.

"I'm Tobi!" the orange-swirled mask man said in an uncharacteristically happy tone.

"Kisame Hoshigaki." the blue-skinned man that resembled a shark said, giving a grin that Jaws himself would be proud of.

"I'm Deidara." the blonde guy said, keeping his eyes trained on Mizuki.

"Itachi Uchiha." the black-haired guy that helped bring us in said, looking at us intensely with his Sharingan eyes. It was actually a bit intimidating…

"Zetsu." a man who, believe it or not, was half black and half white, and resembled a Venus flytrap practically growled.

"And I'm your new leader; Pein. You'll obey every order, and I'll try to make them within Hakumei-san's standards, but it's not a guarantee." Mr. Piercings said, keeping a cold, unwelcoming gaze on us. I shuddered a bit as his rippled eyes burned into me, almost as if I was getting colder as he did so.

"You'll be here for a while before I deem you worthy and ready to leave on missions. Two weeks; tops. Konan will take you to get some new clothes, and I'll have your room assignments to you within a few days. Until then, you'll be staying in Konan's room. All communication with the outside world is banned. Any violation of these orders will result in punishment. Are we clear?" Pein asked, not taking his gaze off of me.

I was trembling from the intensity of his eyes, but slowly shook my head in a "no" response. He arched an eyebrow, and I took a deep breath. "Why can't we go outside? It's too cold in here for me, and I want to start back up on our… mission. I've never before been ordered to this extreme. Have you Mizuki?" I asked, turning to my friend. She looked at me, and nodded slowly.

"I've been trained with much stricter authority and the punishment is most likely much worse than this. We will endure."

No ounce of any preference or emotion was on her face. It scared me to some point, knowing she was so willing to be a tool and follow orders. Where did her sense of individuality go? Was it lost with her emotions and memories? Why wasn't she able to feel? That was all I wanted, that, and my memories.

"Alright…" I quietly said. "Konan can take you to get some new clothes." Pein said, looking at the blue haired woman, Konan.

"Of course. This way please." she said, motioning us to follow her after she jumped off of her place on the statue. We followed her, and I could still feel Pein's eyes burning a hole into me as I left. It was unnerving, and I shuddered a bit.

"We keep all of the spare clothes in my room, simply because I'm never really here at a base, and I am the most organized." Konan said, walking down the bedroom hallway and unlocking the room right across from Pein's.

Her room didn't have much to decorate it, with the exception of a bouquet of origami roses on her nightstand. Her bed was neatly made and her desk had nothing on or in it. She had three dressers, and all of them were clear of any dust or clutter on the tops of them.

She opened the closet door, and I saw it was stocked with Akatsuki cloaks, shirts, pants, fishnetting, zori, and just about anything else an Akatsuki member needed clothing wise. She stepped aside, letting us have free roam of the clothes.

"I don't wear what the boys do. Since you're both girls, clothing is less strict. You don't have to wear what's in the closet." she said. "No… these clothes are very well suited to combat. How much are we allotted?" Mizuki asked, pulling out a fishnet shirt that was a grey-blue color.

"Take as much as you want and need. It's simple for us to get more. I advise at least six pairs of clothes. Some you seal in a scroll to keep for travel, and some you keep here. You never know when we'll need to move bases. We've had it only happen once, but we've had to leave in a split second due to a compromise in our location." Konan said, sitting on her bed with her legs crossed.

I nodded in understanding, and picked out six pairs of shirts, all of them with a little bit more arm-coverage due to the fact I got cold so often. I got six pairs of pants to match, six pairs of fishnet shirts and two pairs of the zori I saw all of the guys wearing. That should last me. I saw Mizuki get the same amount, and then she reached for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"My wounds aren't at the point that I can wear tighter fitted clothing yet. I'll be wearing casual clothes for the time being." she said, pulling her tank-top off and putting on her t-shirt, and then changing her shorts. I nodded, and did the same, knowing that my wounds weren't any better.

"Alright... As Pein said, you'll be sleeping in here until we've decided upon your rooms. The process shouldn't take more than a day or two, mostly because we need to get people who won't mind sharing." Konan explained. I showed my understanding; the Akatsuki probably had less than hospitable members.

Konan left us shortly after, and Mizuki sat on the bed, looking around the room, taking in every bit of information she could. She'd been like that from the start, I'd noticed; taking in everything she could before it could escape her. I was like that too in a way, but not like her. It was like she had nothing to hold onto in her life. I at least could cry.

"If at any time you want to leave, just let me know and I will follow you." Mizuki said, finally looking back at me. I blinked in surprise. "Really? Wow… Thanks." I said, constantly learning new things about her. She had this strong sense loyalty to her comrades, and I really respected that. It made me wonder why Konoha wanted her dead…

**Mizuki**

Two days of rest and recovery had passed, and Aido and I had kept to ourselves in Konan's room, only bothering to come out to eat or retrieve medical supplies. We didn't talk to anyone except Konan, and even then we didn't have much to say. We just slept a lot (me having to force Aido to sleep), and tended to our wounds.

On the third day, Konan walked into the room, followed by Pein, our new leader. "You seem to have recovered well enough. We have two willing members who will share their rooms with you." Pein said, looking us over. I nodded, standing up, ready to go to my new room. "Just so you both know; you're free to use this room whenever you please." Konan said, with a kind look in her eyes. Well… I assumed it was kindness… I couldn't be sure.

Pein walked away, back to his room, leaving Aido and I with Konan. "This way, please." she said, motioning for us to follow. We did, and Konan stopped infront of a door on the opposite side of the hall from Deidara's, and three rooms down. "Mizuki-san, this will be your room. You're sharing with Itachi." Konan said, opening the door for me.

I walked inside, seeing Itachi sleeping on one of the two beds. I decided to be quiet, not wanting to disturb his sleep at all. He probably needed the rest. His eyes always seemed tired, and I didn't blame him. He'd been through a lot in the short twenty-one years he'd been alive. I made my way to one of the two dressers in the room, opening one and seeing that it was filled with clothes.

"What are you doing?"

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Itachi sitting up in his bed, watching me with cautious eyes. He had dark circles under his eyes, and though he looked as if he was relaxing, I knew he was tense. I was too; it was something that came with the territory of being an ANBU. I could never get my body to completely relax either.

"I'm looking for my dresser. I assume that this one is yours, since it's already filled." I explained, closing the drawer and moving to the next dresser. I placed a few pairs of clothes in a drawer, grabbing the shirt I was wearing and tugging it over my head, revealing my bandaged back to him. _"He won't care. This is a professional environment."_ That was the only thought that went through my mind regarding my modesty. I reached for the bandaged Aido had given me, and began undoing the ones on my torso. They needed to be changed.

**Itachi**

I raised my eyebrows in surprise when she took off her shirt. Her back was turned to me, so it's not like I could see anything, but still… She took off her shirt in front of me. Did she really have no concept of being… self-conscious?

"So… you're apparently not shy." I commented, finding it hard to take my gaze off of her.  
>"I'm unable to feel "shy," or any other emotions for that matter."<p>

I stared at her back for a really long time. "You're unable to feel any emotions…" I whispered, as more of a statement than a question. She nodded, her back still turned to me. She began undoing the bandages wrapped around her torso, causing my cheeks to flush slightly. I wasn't supposed to be feeling this way… at all. Yet seeing her like this made my heart pick up tempo.

She undid her bandages a little more, and I saw something black begin to peek out from under the wrappings. I squinted, mentally cursing my diminishing sight for lack of better clarity, but the more it became unwrapped… the more on edge I was becoming. "What is that?" I finally asked.

She paused, looking at me over her shoulder. "On my back? That's a tattoo… I think. I can't remember getting it." she explained. I stood up, approaching her from behind. She was so much taller than the last time I saw her… and yet… she was still smaller than me.

I helped her undo the rest of her bandages, blushing slightly at the fact my hands were brushing against her skin, which was very soft, and by the fact that the only thing covering her breasts was her bra. I couldn't think of _her_ of all people in this manner. That was a sin in itself.

My eyes drifted down to the center of her back while I felt my blood grow cold. I placed my hand on her back, tracing the large circular design. She sucked in a breath, and leaned forward into the dresser, grabbing onto the top of it. I arched an eyebrow, but focused back on the mark.

It was black, and took up most of the space on her back. This wasn't a tattoo… and when the realization of the shape it was hit me, I began to get a little angry. My fingertips gently ran across it, causing her to shiver. Why was she reacting like this? But furthermore… why did she _have_ this?

"This isn't a tattoo…" I finally said, still tracing the mark.

"What is it then?" she whispered, with her voice trembling.

"It's a seal." I softly said. I withdrew my hand, noticing her shoulders relax a bit. Well… relaxed as much as they could. She and I were the same when it came to permanently tensed muscles; always ready to spring into a fight. Out of curiosity, I reached out and ran my thumb across her seal. She gasped, gripping the dresser once more. I could see that her face was bright red. Did… this feel _good_?

"W… Where did it come f… from?" she stammered.

"I… don't know. Here… let me wrap you back up." I said, lying through my teeth as I grabbed the roll of bandages she had with her. I knew exactly where her seal had come from. I just wasn't going to expose her to the danger of knowing that truth. I owed this girl a little too much to pull such a cruel move.

I started wrapping her bandages around her torso, being gentle but firm as I went over the healing wounds. I had a feeling she'd probably cracked or broken a few ribs, since there weren't too many cuts, so I tried my best to not agitate her ribcage. I finished, and stepped away from her. She put her shirt on, turning and looking back at me.

"Thank you… Itachi-san." she said, bowing.

I don't know why, but I reached out and placed my hand on her head. "It's fine. You should go ahead and rest." I softly said, ruffling her hair. She tilted her head, looking up at me with the same eyes a curious kitten holds when inspecting something new. "Alright." she said. I gave an incredibly small smile and walked out of the room, closing the door behind me and walking to the living room.

I sat on the couch, shaking my head in disbelief. Why the _hell_ was Madara's eternal Mangekyo Sharingan on her back? The last time I'd seen her… what happened? She was so happy… and smiling… and… free. Where did that girl go? What happened to that Mizuki Hakumei?

**Once Upon a Rainstorm**

The young shinobi sat by a river, not moving a single muscle. Rain had just started to fall, but he didn't care. He could die right now, and he still didn't care. He'd killed them all. Every single Uchiha… except one. He couldn't kill his brother… Sasuke…

He didn't realize he was crying. Tears were steadily streaming down his face, but they were disguised by the rain. _"An outlaw… that's all I am… my only purpose if for Sasuke to kill me… to kill him…"_ he thought ruefully. Sasuke had to overcome him… just… not yet. He wasn't near ready as a ten year old boy who just lost everything.

Itachi cursed mentally, shaking his head with rain water falling everywhere. To think that a fifteen year old boy had to do such a mission… it was sickening. But… he did it anyway. He had to; to protect Konoha. Everything always came down to Konoha… and Sasuke.

The wind seemed to grow even colder, and the shinobi hugged his arms, feeling the rain seem to get even colder, if that was possible. He squeezed his dark eyes shut, and didn't open them until he felt the rain suddenly stop. His eyes shot open on instinct, and he looked up to see a young girl with shoulder-length brown hair and big, bright silver-blue eyes looking down at him with a kind smile on her face.

"What're you doing out here? Are you trying to get yourself killed from pneumonia?" she asked, with her smile turning into a playful smirk.

The young male looked up at her, then quickly looking away. He didn't want to talk to her, or anyone else for that matter. He wanted to be left alone. "Hey. You're acting sorta like an asshole." she snapped. The shinobi's head snapped up to meet her gaze, and he blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me?" he asked in disbelief.

"You heard me. When someone is talking to you, and being nice, you should respond with a polite answer to their question. That's what you should do, and what you're _not_ doing." she said, sitting next to him and keeping the umbrella positioned over him so they both were covered.

The shinobi said nothing, and looked at the river, which was beginning to swell from the rainwater. "You know… even we shinobi have to cry sometimes." she nonchalantly said, checking her nails. He turned to the girl, continuously astounded by her.

"How old are you?" he asked softly, not taking his gaze away from her silver-blue one.

"I'm ten. Lemme guess… you're fifteen?" she replied, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded, speechless. She was so… perceptive. It was a bit unnerving. "Yes… I am… and… you're…" he started, feeling his words get caught up in his throat. Sasuke was ten. She was the same age as his little brother. She looked at him, getting a glimmer of worry caught on her face. "You can cry. I won't tell." she softly said, reaching her hand out to gently touch his arm.

Itachi looked at the girl, and whatever dam he'd been holding up for years just crumbled by looking into her too-wise eyes. He fell forward, with his head in her lap, and sobbed. Tears that had been long overdue flowed from him. He practically choked on his sobs, and she said nothing. All she did was sit there for him, and brush down his hair while keeping him dry from the rain.

After what felt like hours to him, he finally quieted his sobs, sitting up and wiping his eyes. She stood up, holding her hand out to him. He eyed it, unsure of what she wanted from him. "C'mon. It's not good for your health if you stay out here. You're not used to it, Konoha shinobi." she said, tilting her head and giving him a kind smile.

He paused then stood and took her hand. "My name is Itachi." He softly said, towering above the girl in height. "My name is Mizuki Hakumei. But you can just call me Mizuki." she grinned. He faltered for a moment at the name Hakumei. "I thought the Hakumei clan had…"

"Died out? You're seriously underestimating us, Weasel-kun. The Hakumei clan is an ancient clan that has survived and prospered over many centuries. We're older than the Hyūga, Uchiha, and Senju. We're a clan of warriors and peace keepers. We can't be killed off that easily." she smirked.

Itachi stared at the girl in amazement. She was only ten… and already this intelligent. "My apologies." he mumbled, feeling a little better than he had about an hour ago. She held onto his hand and started walking back through the forest, giving him a smile. "It's okay, Weasel-kun Uchiha."


End file.
